Tales of the Demon Prince: Part 1
by Kitana4
Summary: Pt 1/2. An old friend of Bruce's re-emerges in Gotham City after many years of absence. Appearances can be deceiving, especially when dealing with an immortal. After an attempt on Bruce's life, Terry learns more about Bruce Wayne than he thought he would.
1. One: New Kid

**A/N: **This is the first of a 2-part story, which takes place during multiple time lines. The title is subject to change but for now it's staying as it is. It was the first thing that came to mind. There are going to probably be some pronunciation guides along the way. First off is the character Aré Oni. I love this guy to death.

Aré ( are-ay Pronounced like the last part of Curaré. His first name was originally intended to be the middle name for another character in a different fic, but it just kinda stuck to him.) (To see what he looks like, there's a link in my profile to him. He's a little disproportioned but you get the idea.)

Oni ( oh-knee Yeah sure, that works. And it actually does mean Demon in Japanese, a language that I will reference many times throughout this story and its counterpart.)

* * *

**Chapter One: New Kid**

**Now: During the Events of Batman Beyond**

The night had been long, and nothing was going on. Absolutely NOTHING! Terry was having a hard time keeping his eyes open as he patrolled Gotham. It was strange how quiet the city was that night. He'd been patrolling for the last four hours and there hadn't been so much as a mugging. "Care if we call it a night?" He asked Bruce.

"Tired already?" Came Bruce's voice over the radio.

"Hey, I'm only working on about two hours sleep a night here. Besides, there's nothing going on in the city tonight and I think they can survive one night without Batman." He said.

Bruce sighed over the radio. Hadn't they had this conversation before? "And it's that 'one night' that the psychopaths look for."

Under his mask, Terry rolled his eyes. Damn, still didn't work. So much for an early night, or sleep for that matter. He sighed and continued though the streets. He knew when he agreed to be Batman that a good night's sleep was going to become a luxury that was few and far between. But he could still hope right? Well let's try this then, "Call it quits in an hour?" No reply came over the radio. "Fine, but if I have to repeat my junior year it's your fault."

"Just do one more sweep of the city then come home."

Well he just might get a decent night sleep after all. After making the final sweep he pointed the Batmobile towards Wayne Manor and headed home. He looked at the clock, 10:45. He just might get home before midnight after all. One more day of school then a three day weekend. Not that he was going to tell Wayne that.

Terry got home around 11:20 and pulled out his computer to study, he was asleep before it finished booting.

* * *

_What is that god awful noise?_ Terry thought behind closed eyelids. Try as he might to tune it out the buzzing just wouldn't go away. Slowly he opened an eye and glanced at his evil alarm clock. Okay, it's only 7:45... Wait a second... _Oh crap! School! I'm gonna be late! _Terry shot out of bed, got ready, grabbed his stuff and just about flew to the high school.

Miraculously he made it with just minutes to spare. He quickly made his way to his seat and only hoped he would somehow be able to pass the test. As the last stragglers made their way to their seats Mr. Carson made his way to the front of the class room and waited for the room to quiet down a bit. A young man of about seventeen, maybe eighteen, years of age had followed him into the room. After a few moments Carson tapped on the desk and got everyone's attention.

"Good morning class," he began, "before we begin class today I would like to introduce you all to a new student." He gestured to the boy standing next to him. "This is Aré Oni. He has just moved here from Metropolis and will be joining our class from now on."

Glancing around the room Terry noticed just about all the girls in the room had begun to swoon over the new student. He had to admit the guy wasn't lacking in the looks department. His most striking features were his silver hair and eyes. He wore a long white trench coat that, when closed, would hug his chest and flow out from the bottom. It also would appear black in some areas, depending on how he was turned. His leather pants and boots were black and his navy blue shirt stopped at about mid chest. Oh yeah, this guy was going to be interesting.

"Aré Oni? What kind of name is that?" Terry heard Nelson ask from behind him.

Aré smiled and looked at Nelson. "A very interesting one. It means 'immortal demon.' A name I wear very proudly." He said.

"Well, it's about time we began class." Mr. Carson said. "You can have a seat by Mr. McGinnis." He said pointing to Terry. "Oh and McGinnis," Carson said almost as an afterthought. "Since Aré appears to be in all of your classes, you're going to be his guide through school today."

_This should be fun._ Terry thought.

Aré made his way to his seat. "A pleasure to meet you…" Aré began, giving the hint he never got Terry's name.

"Terry." He offered. The two shook hands and got ready for class.

* * *

If the first few classes had been interesting then lunch was amazing. It seemed to Terry that just about everywhere he and Aré went, scores of women followed them. Chelsea and a bunch of other girls around her were trying to get Aré's attention. _The poor guy's not gonna make it out of this room alive._ Terry thought. He fought his way out of the line and got to the table Dana and Max were at. He sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. Only half a day left of school and he'd be able to get out of this circus.

"What's with all the girls?" Terry asked his two female friends. "I get the guy's good looking but, geez."

Max looked at Terry and smiled. "Are you kidding? The guy's practically sex on a stick." She said.

Both Terry and Dana gaped at her. Dana then got a sly look on her face. "Now that you mention it I guess I can't argue. I know just about every girl in here is thinking of about a million evil things to do to him." She said.

"Dana!" Terry said, shocked. That was not something he wanted to hear, let alone imagine. What made it worse was that it came from his girlfriend.

The two girls laughed. "Are you jealous Terry?" Max asked.

"What's to be jealous over? I already have the best woman around." He said to Dana.

"Scored points with that one." Max whispered to Dana.

"Uh huh." Dana whispered back. "Besides," she said in a normal voice, "it looks like popularity is going to follow him."

They watched as Aré got out of line and looked around the lunch room, looking for a place to sit. The obvious choice of the popular table was open to him but to their surprise Aré skipped the popular table and moved towards them. "Got room for one more?" Aré asked, a shy smile on his face.

"Yeah, sure." Terry said.

"Thanks." Aré said sitting down.

Out of the corner of his eye, Terry saw multiple looks of disappointment coming from the girls surrounding their table. "You get this a lot?" He asked Aré.

A little color entered Aré's cheeks as he nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. Bugs the hell outta me." Aré said with a smile. "But, the sea of raging hormones does eventually ebb."

"So, the word is you're from Metropolis." Max said leaning towards Aré. "Isn't that the Man of Steel's base of operations? Did you ever meet him?"

Aré shrugged. "I saw him a couple times. To be honest I was only in Metropolis for a few months. I originally came from New York City. And before that Los Angeles and San Francisco, England, China, Japan. The list goes on and on."

"Wow you really got around."

"Tell me about it. But anyway, back to your original question. I did see Superman while I was in Metropolis. The guy's schway and all but personally I think the Batman is even better."

Max and Terry exchanged a quick glance. _That just earned him some bonus points in Terry's book._ Max thought. "Why do you say that?" She asked. If only to see what Terry's reaction was going to be.

Terry's ears had perked up at the mention of Batman but he kept all thoughts to himself. He did, however, wonder what this guy thought about his alter ego.

"Are you kidding?" Aré asked with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, think about it. He's the only, quote unquote, superhero without any kind of superpower to call his own. The guy's just a regular human being and he's got to rely on his wits and brute strength to outsmart his opponents. And he's the only one to ever really get the drop on Superman. And from what I've heard about Superman, that doesn't happen very often."

"Good point." Terry put in.

"That's a nice stone." Dana suddenly put in, referring to the emerald choker hanging from Aré's neck.

"Thanks." He said, his voice a little sad. "It belonged to my sister before she died. I wear it so that I can always keep a part of her close by."

"I'm sorry." Dana said.

Aré shook his head. "Don't be. She died a long time ago." Aré then changed the subject. "Perhaps you all would like to come to my place tonight. I could give you the fifty-cent tour of my humble abode."

"That would be great." Max put in.

"I'd like to, but I can't. Mr. Wayne's expecting me right after school." Terry said.

"Wayne?" Aré asked. "As in, Bruce Wayne?" Terry nodded. "You work for Bruce Wayne? How'd you land a job like that?"

Terry sighed inwardly. The last time someone had asked him that he'd ended up hypnotized and had trashed Wayne's house. He was grateful when the bell rang, indicating lunch had ended. "I'll tell you some other time." He said.

"You better." Aré said. "It seems like it'd be an interesting story.

_You don't know the half of it._ Terry thought. He briefly pictured himself telling Aré the truth. _Thing is, I was running from a bunch of Jokerz and practically ran the guy over. We fought them off, I found the Batcave, then my father was murdered, I went back and stole the Batsuit and I'm now jumping across rooftops at night. Why you might ask? Because I'm Batman._ Yep, that would sure make for one hell of a story.

* * *

"You're late." Wayne said from the computer station as Terry made his way down the steps into the Batcave.

"Sorry." Terry said. "We got a new kid in school and the teachers chose me to show him around. Said it was because we shared all the same classes." Terry continued speaking as he went to suit up. "There was something really weird about the guy though. Well, I guess he wasn't the one being weird, it was all the girls. They were all practically drooling over him." Terry only kept talking just so he could hear something. Bruce's lack of social skills bothered him sometimes. "He transferred from Metropolis. Max asked him if he'd met Superman. Said he'd seen him a couple times but apparently he thought Batman was more interesting than the Man of Steel."

Terry came out adjusting his mask and moved to stand behind Bruce who, from the looks of it, didn't care one bit about what Terry had just said. "So, anything good happening tonight?"

"Nothing that looks like it's been plotted by an evil genius. Unless you count the little get together set up by the share holders at Wayne-Powers."

"You really need to change the name of that company."

"It's in the works." Bruce caught Terry's reflection on the computer screen nod and adjust his mask again.

"I hope Max isn't scaring Aré too much. He invited us over to see his place but I said I had to work. I'll have to ask Max and Dana how it was." Terry jumped in the Batmobile and buckled in. "All right. See you later." With that, the canopy closed and he sped out of the cave.

Bruce sat staring at the computer screen, a hit of shock showing on his features. _Aré?_


	2. Two: Late Night Transactions

**Chapter Two: Late Night Transactions**

Dana and Max stared in awe at the inside of Aré's house. The first thought that came to mind was it was huge. The entranceway alone was almost the size of Max's bedroom. The two looked around a few moments longer and not long after Aré appeared. "This place is amazing." Dana said.

Aré shrugged. "It's a little big. I guess I forgot to mention my family is a bit wealthy." He said, slightly embarrassed.

"'A bit wealthy'?" Max asked. "When you said your place we were kinda expecting an apartment. Not a mansion."

"It's not a mansion." He too glanced around the entrance. "But for one person it might as well be." He gestured them further inside. "There's definitely more to see, I just hope I don't scare you too much."

"I think Terry told Max not to scare you." Dana said.

"It takes a lot to scare me." Aré said. They made their way through the condo.

Max thought about something Aré just said. "You live here alone? Where are you parents?" She asked.

Aré stopped and he spoke in a saddened voice, "My mother died when I was young and my father has nothing to do with me." Aré shrugged. "It's not that he wants to. My father's tried, several times; it's just he can't."

They continued their tour of the condo. Aré had a variety of different mementos from his trips across the world. Pictures hung on the walls showing where most of them came from. One picture caught Max's eye right off. It was a picture of Aré and another man, probably mid twenties, standing in front of a large mansion. The mansion and the man both seemed familiar to her.

The phone rang, startling all three of them. "Excuse me a moment." Aré said and went to answer it.

The two girls nodded and continued to look around the room. Max's attention kept coming back to the picture. She knew that place. She stared at it and felt her eyes beginning to strain, that's when it hit her. _It's Wayne Manor._ She thought. It was a little more cheerful looking but it was still Wayne Manor. _So who's the guy he's with?_ To the best of anyone's knowledge Wayne had lived alone in that mansion for a good twenty years or so. _There should be a date on here somewhere._ Most pictures had dates on them, right? Lower right hand corner, ah, there it was. _That can't be right._ She thought as she looked at the date.

_7/16/1992_

* * *

Finally some action. Tonight was much more eventful than the night before and Terry wasn't having trouble staying awake at all. A few run-ins with the Jokerz, couple of armed robberies, not as eventful as he would have liked but still eventful.

"Anything new about daddy's little boy?" He asked over the comm.

Paxton Powers had escaped from jail a few months back and had gone into hiding. He was doing a very good job at it. There hadn't been any sign of him since he escaped.

"There's still nothing on Paxton." Wayne said. Even with all his resources, Wayne still hadn't found Paxton's location.

"How about daddy himself?"

Rumors had begun to go around that Derek Powers, a.k.a. Blight, had resurfaced but there hadn't been any hard evidence it was true. If Paxton was running from anything, it was his father. When the time came they would find them both.

"Nothing on him either. If Derek Powers survived the submarine explosion, I wouldn't find it hard to believe. However he would need to keep in contact with medical facilities. Something to keep his radiation under control. Plus there haven't been any abnormal or disappearing shipments of Polymold."

"That's the stuff they used to create his skin, right?"

"Yes. There have been a few traces of radiation but those have all been centered around nuclear facilities. Unless you want to go searching each facility top to bottom-"

"Uh... No thanks." Terry cut in. "Let's just assume it's not him."

"Assume, huh?" Bruce asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, assume. You know, let's just say he didn't make it. Besides, I'd like to think he did go down with the sub."

Bruce sighed inwardly. Derek Powers was not a subject he liked to discuss with Terry. The boy always became vindictive. In Terry's eyes, he'd never really gotten his revenge for his father's death. Bruce figured until it was a proven fact Powers was dead; Terry would always discuss it like that.

After a few minutes of silence he finally spoke up. "Looks like our sky camera has picked up something."

"Powers?" Terry asked hopefully.

"No." He stated flatly. Making it perfectly clear the discussion was over. "We have some after hour bankers at the First National Bank."

"Right." Terry said. "On my way." He veered the Batmobile south and headed towards the bank.

He was there in less than five minutes and entered the bank from a rooftop window. Sticking to the shadows Batman slowly crept towards the intruders. Two men huddled around the safe while a third man played with a small computer in his hand as he tried to figure out the safe's code.

_Threes? _Batman thought. _What's with robbers and threes?_ He sighed and decided it was time to make himself known.

* * *

"Sorry about that." Aré said to Dana and Max as he came back into the room. "I've been trying to find a job and I've just been called in for an interview."

"An interview?" Dana asked. "At this late at night."

Aré shrugged. "They're desperate."

"They must be." Said Max. Her gaze averting to the picture every now and then.

"I'm really sorry. But I should probably head over. Maybe we can get together tomorrow night."

"Sounds great." Dana said.

"Maybe you can bring Terry along."

"I don't know. I think he has to work for Mr. Wayne tomorrow."

"Another time then." Aré said.

"Tomorrow night, same time?" Max asked.

"Works for me." Aré said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." The three of them left the condo and went their separate ways. But what no one noticed was that Max had swiped the picture before they left.

* * *

The office was spacious. The apartment it belonged to was just as spacious. The silver haired youth was sitting across from an older dark haired man behind the desk.

"They tell me you're the best." Dark said.

"That's what they say." Said Silver. "They haven't lied yet."

Dark smiled. "You think you can get the job done?"

"I need to know what the job is first."

"Wayne-Powers is having a fund raiser at North Ridge Park tomorrow night. I want you to use your….. 'talents' on a certain member of the board."

"Which one?"

"Bruce Wayne."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Wayne?" He asked taking his feet off the desk and leaning forward. "You want me to ice Wayne in public?"

"Is that going to be a problem?" Dark asked.

Silver leaned back and smiled. "Not at all. Not for me anyway. But for you, the price just doubled."

"A little late for a transaction?" Batman asked as he emerged from the shadows. The three thieves turned as one.

"Batman!" The one with the computer shouted, surprised. The other two quickly drew their guns and pointed them at Batman and fired.

Batman quickly moved to his left to avoid the bullets. He then shot out two batarangs and knocked the guns from the thieves' hands. They cried out in shock. The two charged Batman and he flipped over them and shot out a bola and tied the two together. The third thief tried to make a run for it. He made it to about the teller counter before he too was tied by a bola. "Let me guess?" Batman asked. "You're new at this?"

The three criminals looked at each other then at Batman and nodded. _No wonder it was easy. Experienced criminals put up a fight._ He thought. Without another word Batman tied the three together and tripped the bank's alarm, leaving them for the police.

He returned to the Batmobile and jumped in. One of the first things to greet him was the clock. "Wow, it's 1:30 already?" He said to himself.

"How did it go?" Bruce's voice came over the comm.

"Fine." Terry said. "They were just a bunch of first time thieves. Barely put up a fight."

"Not too hard of a night. Come on home, it's getting late."

"You tired?"

"No, I'm nocturnal. But you mother called and said she wanted you home early so you would have enough rest to watch your brother. I learned never to argue with mothers."

"One-thirty's early?"

"For us it is."

_He's got a point._ Terry thought. He usually didn't get home until around three every morning. Which only left him with about 2-3 hours sleep a night. _Wait a minute. That means he knows I don't have school tomorrow. CRAP!_

"Besides, we both need to prepare for the fund raiser."

"That's right. They're going to drag you out in daylight for a few hours. This thing should be fun then." Terry smiled at the thought and he could picture Bruce's glare. Heh, tonight was going to be fun.


	3. Three: Assassin

**Chapter Three: Assassin**

Terry awoke to a monster looking at him. The eight year old monster got a surprise when a pillow hit him in the face. Matt McGinnis gave a yelp as he hit the floor. "What was that for?" He asked.

"For coming into my room and waking me up, twip." Terry replied, groggily. "Now get out!" Terry looked at the clock and groaned. It was still way too early as far as he was concerned. He rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his eyes and got dressed. With there being no school and their mother gone to work early, there was a lot of trouble the twip could get into.

Terry left his bedroom and went searching for breakfast. He grabbed some cereal and went in search of the monster called his brother. He found Matt lying on the floor in front of the TV watching some boring kids show. Luckily for him Matt had left the remote on the table behind him and Terry snatched it up and changed the channel.

"Hey!" Matt yelled, turning to face Terry.

"You snooze you lose, twip."

Matt opened his mouth to yell to their mother then realized she wasn't around. Terry's in charge and there was no one to complain to. Life was so unfair. He turned back around and was about to start sulking when an image of his idol appeared on the TV screen. "Hey it's Batman!"

Terry looked at the screen and, sure enough, there was Batman. The news channel he landed on was showing footage of the attempted bank robbery. _"…attempted robbery last night. Thanks to the Batman, nothing was taken from the First National bank. _

_"In other news; tonight is the annual Wayne-Powers fundraiser at North Ridge Park which will be attended by Gotham's elite including, in a rare public appearance, billionaire Bruce Wayne. Wayne-Powers Industries, which will once again be called Wayne Enterprises in a few short weeks, plans on using the fund raiser to help with the restoration of Old Town…."_

Terry got up and handed the remote back to Matt. He had better things to do. He was about to pick up the phone and call Dana but it rang instead. "Hello?" He answered.

"Terry? Hey it's Max." Said the voice on the other end.

"Hey Max. I was just about to call Dana and ask how everything was last night. Was the tour interesting?"

"Yeah," She then proceeded to tell Terry all about Aré's condo.

"Sounds like you two had a good time."

"We did, there was something I found that I think you might find interesting. He had this old photo that got my attention."

"Really? Who was in it?"

"That's what made me interested. Aré was standing in front of Wayne Manor and I did some checking. The guy he was standing with was Bruce Wayne. From about fifty years ago."

"It's probably a doctored photo."

"Why would Aré have a doctored photo? Besides I checked the photo out. It hasn't been doctored; it's even got the old Kodak logo on the back. This thing's authentic. It's dated 1992."

"What are you trying to say Max? That Aré's some seventy-something-year-old guy who looks like a teenager?"

"I'm not sure what I'm trying to say Terry. But something about the guy doesn't add up."

"Max please, don't go looking for trouble. Because if you find it I'll probably be the one to clean it up."

"You could always ask Mr. Wayne about it."

"I could, but even if I did I don't think he would answer."

"I'll just have to ask Aré tonight then. He invited the three of us back over tonight."

"I still can't. Got that fund raiser to go to."

"Sounds like loads of fun."

"Yeah, it'll be great to see Wayne dragged out into the daylight. If only for a couple of hours."

"When do you have to be there?"

"Around six."

"Good, then we should be able to get together and I can show this to you. Think you can meet me later?"

"Can't. Got the twip to look after."

"Okay, then I'll just have to come to you. See you soon."

"Wait, Max-." Terry heard a click on the other end and hung up the phone with a sigh. Why did Max have to be so stubborn and bull headed? The minute Max got something into her head she wouldn't stop until she got the results she wanted. And, unfortunately for anyone who tried, there was no stopping her.

* * *

Not half an hour later, Max was in Terry's apartment showing him the picture she had swiped from Aré's condo. Max had been smiling, proud of the discovery she had made.

Terry looked at the picture. The harder he looked at it the more explanations went out the window. The two in the picture sure did look like Bruce and Aré, and that was definitely Wayne Manor. Come to think of it. Terry remembered seeing a similar picture at the manor. He knew about Râ's al Ghûl, so the idea of Aré being older than he looked wasn't impossible.

"Let me hold onto this for a while," he said to Max, "if I can remember to think of it, I'll ask Mr. Wayne about it."

"He'll know I took it, you know?"

"I know. He'll probably figure out why too." Terry looked at the picture once more before placing it in his backpack. Terry did have to ask himself, if this picture is genuine then how old was this guy?

* * *

Bruce sat in the Batcave and glared at the computer. He asked himself again why he volunteered to go to this fund raiser. Probably for nothing else than to light a fire under Damien's ass. The man couldn't have been more than a year out of high school, or so he looked, and he'd already made his way to the number three spot in the company. Power hungry money grubbers, he hated those kinds of people.

He looked at the clock, almost 5:15. Terry would be there in a couple of minutes. That boy could get under his skin sometimes; he'd already learned what buttons to push to annoy Bruce. And the mention of having to be out in daylight was one of them. Bruce really didn't hate the daytime; he just preferred the dark more. A lot more.

Ace started barking which meant Terry must be here. Bruce sighed and figured he should just go and get this over with. He went upstairs to find Terry and Ace glaring at each other. You wouldn't know it by looking that the two liked each other and only did this to see who was more stubborn. Compared to the two of them Bruce could win that contest hands down.

Ace barked and Terry flinched. Well, the dog won that round of the staring contest. Terry glared at Ace once more before turning to Bruce.

"We ready?" Terry asked.

Bruce nodded and groaned inwardly. _This is going to suck._

Terry smiled inwardly. _This is going to be fun._

* * *

North Ridge Park was actually located on part of a building. The park extended over two-thirds of a Wayne-Powers tech center. It had been built that way as a way of adding land to Gotham City, since most of the ground level had been built on.

Hundreds of Gotham's elite were present by the time Bruce and Terry arrived. Members of the press and media were around to cover the fund raiser. As soon as they had entered the park just about every one of them had flocked over to Bruce, trying to get a statement from the billionaire. Terry had backed away and was enjoying watching Bruce try to get away from all of them. _Hard to believe he used to go to these things all the time. _Terry thought. The look Bruce shot the members of the press made them stop for a moment and that was all he needed to get away.

"Nice trick." Terry said to Bruce after the older man had moved to stand beside him.

"It works every time." Bruce said.

"I bet. You could scare anyone and anything with that look."

"Not everyone gets scared by it."

"Name one person." Bruce looked at Terry and the boy knew it was time to shut up. After a minute he said, "I saw Barbara earlier. Didn't know she would be here."

"Some members of the GCPD got a special invitation. Barbara was one of them."

"You two going to actually talk to each other tonight?" Bruce shot him another look. "Okay, okay I'm shutting up." Terry rolled his eyes and went to get something to drink. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Bruce Wayne, so glad you could make it." Bruce turned in the direction of the voice. Maxwell Damien smiled as he approached the older man. Few people could get on Bruce's nerves and the twenty-three year-old was one of them. Though Bruce had to give the man some credit. He at least knew how to dress appropriately. He wore a suit, black, just like all the other men.

His dark brown hair was slicked back in a fashion that for a moment Bruce thought it might have been painful. Damien's brown eyes didn't seem to reflect his outward cheerfulness and Bruce made a note of that.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself. I would hate for the owner of the company to have a bad time. The evening's entertainment should be starting in about an hour. Will you be saying a few words to the guests tonight?"

"I have a few planed." Bruce said.

"Wonderful, if you'll excuse me Mr. Wayne. Duties as host, you know how it is."

"Of course."

Damien walked away and started up his rounds. Bruce's eyes followed him for a second then something else caught his attention. He tried to find the source of the steak of silver he had seen but its source eluded him for the time being. _You're being paranoid._ He thought. He looked out over the park to the setting sun. Maybe after the sun disappeared over the horizon would the nagging at the back of his mind go away.

* * *

Terry stood by the punch bowl bored out of his mind. This was one of the things he hated about working for Bruce Wayne. Just about everything else was great, but these company get togethers sucked. He was beginning to wish something would happen that would require his attention. Or better yet, Batman's attention.

Terry watched as the audience's attention was called for and he saw Bruce step up onto the platform. A speech, great. He was introduced to the guests and before he could say anything Terry was reminded of an old saying. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

* * *

The sound of the explosion came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Many guests lost their balance and fell to the ground. Terry was one of those guests. He saw a crater where one of the serving tables had been. Luckily there hadn't been anyone near the table when the bomb went off. Terry got up and headed towards the platform to find Bruce. From what he could see, it didn't appear anyone had been injured.

He found the older man helping up the young woman who had announced him. He jumped onto the platform and went straight for Bruce. "You alright?" He asked.

Bruce straightened and nodded to Terry. "I'm fine."

"Not for long, you're not."

The two spun in the direction of the new voice. To Terry's utter horror there was a gun pointed straight at Bruce's head. The look on Bruce's face made Terry's blood run cold. Bruce's face had gone dead white and he stared at his assailant in shock.

Out of the corner of his eye, Terry caught sight of Barbara Gordon. She too had a look of surprise on her face. He forced himself out of his shock and narrowed his eyes at the man standing before them.

"I take it you got the job you interviewed for." Terry said in a cold voice.

A smile formed on the man's face. "Yes, and it's one I have to complete soon. So if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow Mr. Wayne for a while.

Terry then did something that was either very bold or very stupid. He placed himself between Bruce and the gunman. What color there had been left in Bruce's face completely vanished. Terry stood defiantly, not willing to move an inch.

"Move Terry."

"No, you'll have to shoot me first Aré."

Aré took a few steps closer, almost to the point of touching Terry. "This doesn't have anything to do with you Terry. Now move."

Again Terry stood defiantly. "No."

"Fine, I'll make you then." Suddenly, gun still in hand, Aré grabbed hold of Terry and threw him out of the way.

"Terry!" Bruce exclaimed.

The sound made by Terry's landing made all the panicking guests stop and look in the direction of the platform. No one saw Terry get up afterward and leave the scene. His alter ego already taken over.

Once again Aré leveled the gun at Bruce. No emotion showed in either man's features as they stared at each other. The two were still for what seemed like forever. The crowd was trying to regain its composer and yet get as far away as possible.

"Now Mr. Wayne." Aré said, "I believe you and I have some unfinished business we need to take care of."

* * *

Terry ran as fast as he could towards the hover limo. He was extremely thankful they had been able to park close. His mind was racing as he jumped in the car and grabbed the Batsuit, which he donned very quickly in the back seat.

No one saw Batman exit the vehicle and make his way back to the park. He kept the camouflage on and silently moved back towards Bruce. He'd caught sight of Barbara and noticed she was just coming out of her own state of shock. This surprised him a little. She really shouldn't have been surprised by something like this. Stuff like this happens in Gotham all the time, right? So what makes this any different?

He felt some relief when he saw Bruce was still alive. He and Aré were still where he had left them. He turned his camouflage off and placed himself back between the gun and Bruce. "I suggest you lose the gun." Batman said to Aré.

Aré didn't seem the least bit threatened. "Ah, the Batman. Come to beat me senseless and save the old man?" The gun still didn't lower. "As I told the kid earlier, this has nothing to do with you."

Batman didn't move and the lenses in his mask narrowed as he glared at Aré. "Really? Maybe I'd be more convinced if you lose the gun." Another figure entered Batman's peripheral vision and he recognized the man as Maxwell Damien. Didn't the guy have enough sense to get out of here when he had the chance?

"Would it help if I switched targets, perhaps?" Batman was slightly confused. The gun's direction was then changed; it no longer held Bruce in its sights. Instead Aré had now turned the gun on Damien.

Batman stared at Aré. _Great, this just keeps on getting better and better._ He thought.

The two held each other's gaze for a minute before Aré turned his attention to Damien. Batman too looked at the man. Damien stood frozen, white as a ghost.

"Mr. Damien, a message for you and your boss. The next time you want someone assassinated I suggest you get the backbone to do the job yourself."

Damien's face went from white to bright red. Rage spread across his features. Before he could do or say anything a gunshot went off. All four men looked to where the bullet had come from.

Barbara had her weapon out and had everyone under a watchful eye. "Gotham City Police." She said. "Drop the weapon and put your hands in the air."

Aré turned and for a moment looked like he was going to make a grab for Bruce. Batman held his ground. Aré then put his gun away, turned back to Barbara and bowed. To Damien he said, "Also, tell Powers it's a shame the original Arkham isn't still open. I think you two would have done well there." He glanced once more at Barbara and gave a curt nod to Batman. Then within the blink of an eye he had turned and bolted for the edge of the park.

Batman followed and ignited his boosters when he saw Aré jump over the wall. _He must be crazy,_ he thought putting on more speed, _that's a hundred story drop on the other side of that wall._ He got to the wall and looked over the edge.

Nothing, there was absolutely nothing. No sign that Aré had gone over. No vehicle speeding away. There were no vehicles in the vicinity to begin with. Batman spread his wings and descended the side of the building. After going down a few stories he was no less confused than he had been before he came down. He decided to give up his search for now and went back up to the park. He was relieved to find no one appeared to be injured. Barbara had Damien off to the side, apparently questioning him about what Aré had said. Satisfied that everything seemed to be in order Batman exchanged a quick glance with Bruce then made a barely noticeable exit.

* * *

Terry returned to the park a few minutes later and saw Barbara was still asking Damien questions. He found Bruce talking to a couple of officers, who were taking his statement. After they were done he walked over to the older man. "Ready to leave?" He asked.

Bruce nodded and the two left the park. On the drive home Terry remembered the picture Max had given him. Not exactly sure how to start the conversation he started with the first thing that came to mind. "How long have you known him?"

"Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about. Aré, the new kid in my school. The guy who just tried to kill you. How long have you known him?"

"What makes you think I know him?"

"This, for one." Terry replied, pulling the picture from his coat pocket and handing it to Bruce.

Bruce took the picture and did well to hide his surprise. Not willing to give anything away he said, "This is nothing but a cleaver forgery."

"Really?" Terry wasn't buying it. "'Cause it's been checked. That one's authentic. Explain that."

Unfortunately Bruce really couldn't explain it. To put it more accurately, he just didn't want to. Though he just might have to say something. When Terry was mad, and he was thoroughly pissed at the moment, his driving got worse.

"Oh my god, I just remembered Dana and Max were supposed to meet him tonight." Terry grabbed his cell and quickly called Max. As he was explaining everything to Max, who could hardly believe what he was saying, Terry's attention had gotten diverted.

"Terry!" Bruce yelled.

Terry looked up and saw he was headed for oncoming traffic. "Whoa." He quickly pulled the car back into the right lane. "I've got to go Max. Let Dana know. Thanks, bye."

"Get us back to the manor in one piece, then we can talk."

Terry seemed satisfied with that and not another word was said until they got back to Wayne Manor.

* * *

The two knew something wasn't right when they arrived at the manor. The fact that Ace wasn't there to greet them was their first sign. Clue number two was that the grandfather clock had been pushed aside. The two could have sworn that had been where it should be when they left earlier that evening. The two cautiously made their way down into the Batcave. They found Ace lying by the computer, looking as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

The computer held a surprise of its own. An old home movie appeared to be playing on the screen. What they saw confirmed Terry's suspicions about Aré being older than he looked.

* * *

In front of the camera was a young dark haired boy. His worn-in shorts and former white shirt matched the equally worn sneakers he had on. He was covered from head to toe in dirt. The camera then moved to an older man. _"Over here we have Alfred Pennyworth."_ An obviously younger Alfred since his hair had yet to turn white. _"And over here,"_ The camera moved back to the boy, _"we have Bruce Wayne, heir to a crap load of money and. . . ."_ There was a smile behind the cameraman's voice. _"He still puts lost teeth under his pillow for the tooth fairy. He's already rich enough if you ask me."_

Bruce's jaw dropped, _"Yeah, well at least I wasn't born with white hair like an old man!"_ He yelled back. A smile appeared on his face as he stared at the cameraman.

_"Alfred, hold this."_ Movement of the camera signified that it was being handed over, for the most part it stayed on Bruce and the look on his face went from pleased to _I am so going to get my ass kicked_ in no time flat. He took off running and Aré chased after him. _"My hair isn't white! It's silver, platinum blonde!"_ More chasing. _"Get back here you little runt!"_

This stopped Bruce in his tracks. He turned to Aré. _"Who you calling a runt!?"_

_"You twerp!"_

_"Old man!"_ Bruce shot back.

_"Small fry!"_

_"Whitey!"_

_"Pipsqueak!"_

The two continued to glare daggers at each other. A sigh was heard off camera. _"Even though he teases you Master Bruce, he has made you become a kid again. I think even you are grateful for that."_

* * *

"I'm surprised you still have this."

The voice echoed throughout the cave bringing both Terry and Bruce out of their trance. Aré walked back towards the computer. Ace just looked up at him and put his head back down. Terry's rage came back full force. Aré was walking around like he owned the place. Ace should have been all over this guy but he just stared at Aré like it was the most natural thing in the world. _What is going on here?_

"What do you think you're doing here?" Terry yelled.

"I came to visit a friend." He sat in the chair in front of the computer. He smiled at the two men. "So how's life treating you Mr. Wayne?"

Terry looked at Bruce. He had barely moved an inch after entering the cave. When Bruce finally did move he went straight over to the boy sitting in his chair. Terry followed cautiously. If Aré tried anything he wanted to be ready. "You're in my chair." Bruce said.

"Really?" Aré acted surprised. "I didn't see your name on it." He still didn't get up. "So, who's the old man now?"

"I guess we both are."

"Yeah, but I look good for my age."

"How old are you?" Terry asked. He was still a little leery but his curiosity had gotten the better of him and replaced his rage.

Aré looked up at Terry. "Oh, I'm Bruce's age." Terry raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Plus about four hundred years." Terry stared at him, he couldn't believe it when Aré started to laugh. "Dropped so fast I thought you'd dislocated it."

"Huh?"

Aré reached over and tapped Terry's lower jaw. "Careful. You don't want any bats to think that's another cave."

Terry shut his mouth. He was confused by a lot of things.

"Over four-hundred years old? So you're like that Râ'z guy."

"Râ's is about two hundred years my senior. And there is a big difference between him and I. I was born an immortal, Râ's al Ghûl does nothing more than cheat death. A lot."

New subject. "How'd you get away?"

"Trade secret." Aré leaned forward in the chair. "So, how'd old Brucie here wrangle you to be the new Bats?" Aré caught Bruce's glare out of the corner of his eye. "Did you want to sit here?" He asked Bruce. With a sigh he got up. "Well, you've probably got a ton of questions. Rumor is you're looking for a guy named Powers. I found out about someone wanting you dead. You've made quite a few enemies Bruce."

"How'd you find out about this attempt?"

"A little birdie told me." Bruce's scowl deepened. "Oh come on Bruce. This thing between you and Dick is getting a little old. Why do you think I took the job?"

"Money?"

Aré turned to Terry. "I've got more than enough of that." He sighed. He noticed Terry still appeared on edge. To him he said, "You don't have to worry. If I had wanted to hurt either you or Bruce I'd have done it by now."

"That's reassuring." Terry said, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Come on Bruce. You've barely said two words since I got here. What's going on inside that thick skull of yours?"

"Where's Powers?" Bruce asked.

"No idea. You should probably ask Damien about that. He's the one who hired me. Oh shit, I just remembered, I was supposed to meet Dana and Max tonight."

"Don't bother." Terry said. "I told them not to meet you."

"Good idea, if I was actually dangerous."

"You are." Bruce said.

"Okay but only when I want to be." Aré smiled and a mischievous look appeared on his face. With an obvious subject change he asked Terry, "So how much about himself has Bruce told you?"

Both Terry and Bruce were caught a little off guard by the question. "Uh not much."

Aré's smile widened. The look on Bruce's face nearly mimicked the one he'd had in the home movie. "Well, sit down kiddo because I have everything you've ever wanted to know but were too afraid to ask about Bruce Wayne."


	4. Four: Problem Child and the Cure

**Chapter Four: Problem Child and the Cure**

**And Then: Before and During the events of Batman: The Animated Series**

Alfred was at his wits end. He couldn't find Bruce anywhere. That boy had been nothing but trouble for the last year and a half and he was tired of trying to chase him around the mansion. Alfred wasn't as young as he used to be, but he still should have been able to keep up with a ten year-old. Then again, the grounds Wayne Manor sat upon were vast which meant there we're numerous places to hide.

Alfred made his way down one of the corridors of the manor, holding a report card in his hand. One he wasn't too happy about. Granted he wasn't Bruce's father but until the boy turned eighteen he was his legal guardian which was enough for Alfred. Bruce must have known his report card had come in the mail and was the reason for his disappearing act.

After checking a few more rooms he decided to try somewhere else. For all he knew, Bruce had left the grounds entirely. This wasn't exactly a rare occurrence. Alfred knew that if Thomas and Martha were still alive Bruce probably wouldn't be acting up like this.

A few months after his parents death Bruce had begun to act out. Mostly due to the grief and the guilt that he felt for being so helpless. Bruce wasn't really that hard to figure out. Underneath all of his actions Alfred believed that all Bruce really wanted was to forgive himself. Until he could cope with his grief it was doubtful that Bruce would begin to behave. Even still, if Bruce didn't start to behave soon Alfred might have to do something drastic. Military school was starting to look like a good idea. He finally found Bruce sitting inside the door to his parent's bedroom. Seeing him sitting there made Alfred momentarily forget his anger. It was hard to believe two years had already passed since the two had been murdered.

"Master Bruce." Alfred said getting Bruce's attention.

"What do you want?" Bruce asked.

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About this." Alfred held out the report card for Bruce to see.

"Yeah, so what?"

"You're failing most of your classes. You're disrespectful to your teachers. You skip school, get into fights, broke a student's nose last week, need I go on?"

"I don't care Alfred."

"You should." Alfred's voice had taken on an angered tone.

"Why?"

"Because it's your education, your future."

"Then you can go to school for me."

"It doesn't work like that Master Bruce."

Bruce stood up and stormed down the hallway. "Why do you care so much? I don't anymore."

"I care," Alfred said, grabbing Bruce by the shoulders and spinning the boy around to face him, "because a good man once made me responsible for what was most precious to him in the whole world."

For a moment Bruce's expression softened but it hardened back up real quick. "Caring gets you nowhere."

"Neither does anger."

Bruce broke free of Alfred's grasp and ran down the hallway. "Yeah! But it makes me feel better!" He yelled.

Alfred sighed; there was just no getting through to him. He decided it was time to make the phone call he should have made months ago.

* * *

One week and three visits to the principle later, Alfred was relieved to see the blue '68 Ford Mustang pull up the drive to Wayne Manor. The vehicle stopped in front of the manor and a young man wearing dark blue jeans, black boots and a black t-shirt got out of the car.

"I'm so glad you could come." Alfred said. He went over and was going to start unloading the car.

"Leave it Alfred, I can get it. Why didn't you call me sooner? You know I would have come."

"I thought I could handle him myself."

"Apparently you were wrong."

Alfred nodded in agreement. "Master Aré -"

"Just Aré. You know I don't like this 'master' stuff."

Alfred smiled. "Of course."

"So where's the little darling?"

"He could be anywhere. Last I knew he was in his room." The two went inside the mansion in search of Bruce.

They found him coming down the main staircase. He walked right by them and straight out the door. "Well hello to you too." Aré said sarcastically. He and Alfred followed Bruce outside.

"Master Bruce. There's someone I want you to meet."

Bruce didn't even turn around. "Hi, bye."

"Master Bruce!"

"It's alright Alfred." _Oh yeah, this kids going to be a world of fun._

"I'm going out. I'll be back whenever I feel like it." Bruce said.

"You most certainly will not. You have homework that needs to be done." Said Alfred.

"Who's going to make me do it Alfred? You? Ya know what, if you want it done so badly why don't you do it?" Bruce threw over his shoulder.

Aré looked from Bruce to Alfred and back again. "Okay, that's it." He stormed down the road after Bruce. He grabbed Bruce by the arm and brought the boy to a screeching halt.

"Hey leggo!" Bruce yelled.

"Listen up kid because I'm only going to say this once. I'm here to put you back in line. You'll learn to listen, you will pass school with flying colors and you will learn the meaning of the word 'respect.'" He dragged Bruce back over to where Alfred was standing. "From this moment on there is no more 'Master Bruce' and you will address him as 'Mr. Pennyworth.' You are the child which means you have to listen to what we say. Since I'm the one who's going to be watching you if I say 'jump' you ask 'how high?' If I say 'run' you ask 'where to?' You getting this?"

Bruce nodded and kept silent.

"Now, you are going to apologize to Alfred then march right back inside and finish your homework." Bruce turned to Alfred and mumbled something. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that." Again Bruce mumbled, this time a little louder. "Nope, still didn't hear you."

"I said sorry!" Bruce shouted at Aré.

"Don't tell me, tell him."

Bruce turned back to Alfred. He looked at the ground when he spoke. "I'm sorry Al-. . . Mr. Pennyworth." He glanced back at Aré one last time then ran back inside the mansion. The two watched him disappear up the stairs.

* * *

"Are you sure you weren't too hard on him?" Alfred asked Aré after the two had gone back inside the mansion.

Aré shrugged. "I'm going to have to be hard on him until he learns to listen. And I'm absolutely serious about the 'Master Bruce' thing. He'll never listen to you if you call him 'master.'"

Alfred had noticed that on many occasions and agreed completely with Aré. Some habits were hard to break though. "He's still just a child."

"I know. I also know that he's angry and in a lot of pain. I know what it's like. Been there, done that. He just needs to find a better way of expressing that pain. Even though he's a boy, crying every once in a while wouldn't kill him."

Alfred looked in the direction of Bruce's bedroom. He appeared saddened as he spoke. "I don't think I've ever seen him cry once since his parents were taken. The night it happened he was in too much shock to do much of anything."

Aré sighed. "It's going to take a lot of work but things will get better," He smiled, "trust me."

Alfred smiled at this too. "I've prepared a room for you in the same corridor as," He had to catch himself, "Bruce's."

"Good, perfect way to keep an eye on the twerp." Alfred showed him the room and Aré went to gather his things and began to unpack for the long stay.

* * *

Bruce was beyond angry. He actually hadn't had a lot of homework to do and managed to get it done in a short amount of time. He was surprised that he actually did it. He never did his homework, ever! _Who does this guy think he is?_ Bruce thought, chucking his pencil across the room. Waltzing in here thinking he could tell Bruce what to do. He was having no part of it. He had better things to do. He got up and turned on the radio. After locking the door to his room he began to climb out the window. He dropped to the ground and ducked behind the bushes lining the house. Bruce quickly looked around and made sure there was no one to see him. Satisfied that it was all clear he silently made his way down the driveway. He reached the front gate unnoticed and began to climb over it. He could just as easily have opened the gate but that would have sent a signal to the house. He only made it a few feet from the gate when someone spoke. "Going somewhere?"

Bruce froze where he stood. He just got caught, he never got caught. Slowly he turned around and looked where the voice had come from. He came face to face with the man Alfred had tried to introduce him to earlier. What made Bruce angry with him, besides the fact he had just caught Bruce, was the way he stood. The guy was leaning against the wall, arms and legs crossed, and he was smirking at Bruce. Smirking! Almost as if he knew Bruce was going to sneak out. "I'm not going anywhere." Bruce tried innocently.

"Uh... Huh." This guy wasn't buying it, great. He pushed off the wall and started walking towards Bruce. "Look Bruce, I'm not stupid. I was ten once and got into a lot of mischief. Got into a lot of trouble too. Where were you headed?"

The same place Bruce went every night. Bruce kept his mouth shut. He didn't even know this guy's name; there was no way he was going to tell him. He folded his arms and looked defiantly at Aré.

Aré appeared to study him for a moment before sighing. His expression softened, "You were going to your parents' graves."

Bruce was surprised, and he was starting to get impressed. _What is this guy? A mind reader?_ He had known Bruce was going to sneak out and he knew exactly where he was headed. Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but what could he say? Alfred was going to kill him. Unless this guy did it first. "You're not my father! You can't tell me what to do!"

"No, I'm not your father and neither is Alfred. And we don't pretend to be. I'm still not leaving. You're going to see a lot of me from now on. Until you learn to straighten up, I'm going to be around to keep an eye on you. Come on." Aré started down the road in the direction Bruce had been going.

"Where are we going?" Bruce asked, following along.

"Same place you were headed in the first place. Bruce stopped walking and stared at Aré who in turn stopped and looked back at Bruce. "You coming?"

"Uh... yeah." Bruce ran to catch up. He would look at Aré out of the corner of his eye every now and then as they walked. "I uh...never got your name."

"Aré."

"Huh?"

"My name is Aré."

"Aré, never heard that before."

"It's different. Even I'll vouch for that."

"I like it." For some reason Bruce just couldn't stay angry since they had left the manor. He wanted to be angry and he wanted to be angry for not being angry but the emotion just wouldn't come to him. No matter how hard he tried.

"You know Bruce, you and I have something in common."

"Like what?" He snapped. Yes! His anger was coming back.

"We're both orphans."

There went Bruce's anger. "Really?" He didn't sound as skeptical as he hoped he would.

Aré nodded. "My mother died when I was young."

"And your father?"

"I don't know if he's still alive. I haven't seen or heard from him in years." He was silent for a moment. In the distance the gravestone for Thomas and Martha Wayne could be seen. "I can't say that I know exactly what you're going through, and I don't pretend to. But I do have an idea and if you ever need anyone to talk to I'll always be there to listen."

Bruce nodded silently. He'd heard people tell him that many times but he could never really get himself to talk about the night his parents were murdered. Even looking at the grave had left him without many emotions. It was the same thing every night. He would leave the manor angry and when he got to the graves he would always feel empty, alone. Tonight was no different, even though Aré was with him this time. Bruce had sworn to himself he would never cry. He felt that if he did then he would be weak. He never wanted to be weak again. Not like that night. _Never again a weakling._ He thought.

Aré watched Bruce from a distance. He watched as Bruce stood in front of his parents' graves. His expression had gone cold and Aré could tell that some kind of internal struggle was taking place. Bruce's hands were balled into fists and he was shaking slightly. _So a part of him does want to cry. _Aré thought. _But he's forcing himself not to let those tears fall. Are you ever going to let yourself feel everything you need to? Or are you going to bottle it up and let it slowly destroy you? _

* * *

Two weeks later, not much had changed. There were times when Bruce appeared as though he was beginning to listen but he still tried to pull things over on Alfred and Aré. What he could never figure out was how Aré always managed to catch him one way or another. It was getting really annoying. Why couldn't they just leave him alone to do his own thing? Well, Aré was lenient enough to let Bruce go to his parents graves every night. He'd told Bruce that he never had to sneak out, that that was one place he could just go to.

Tonight was different though, it was way past the time he normally went to the gravesite. He had something else he wanted to do. He was going through one of his really bad 'angry at the world' phases and he just wanted to go out and break stuff.

Bruce had to try and sneak out the long way since out his window was out of the question. They just had to be down in the room below him, didn't they? He silently made his way down the hallway and approached the top of the grand staircase. Bruce kept bent low to the floor just in case anyone decided to make an appearance. He sat near the top of the staircase for a few minutes and after he felt it was all clear slowly made his way down them. The old stairs tended to creak in some areas but he had gone up and down them so much that he knew exactly where every one of those areas was.

Bruce quickly looked around when he reached the bottom of the staircase. Satisfied that it was all clear he crept towards the front door. He stopped half way to the door and a sudden thought struck him. Those doors would make a lot of noise opening and closing. It might be best to use another exit. Maybe the one in the kitchen? Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. He turned and headed in the direction of the kitchen. Unfortunately the direction he was taking to the kitchen would take him past the room Alfred and Aré were in. He saw light coming from the crack in the door and paused just before the room. From his angle he was able to peer inside the room and was pleasantly surprised to find the two men weren't even facing the door. They would never see him go past.

Again, being as quiet as he possibly could, Bruce crept past the door and made it into the kitchen. He was headed for the door and, "Going somewhere Bruce?" Aré's voice. Geez, how did he do that!?

"Just getting something to nibble on." Bruce replied, angling towards a cupboard and praying he would buy it.

"Then why were you trying to sneak around?"

Couldn't this guy cut him some slack or something? "I wasn't sure Alfred would let me get something." Oh yeah, that sounded convincing.

Aré moved and leaned against the kitchen counter. "You know Bruce, if you want to try and sneak out you need to be a little quieter."

That's just the thing, he had been quiet! "What makes you think-?" Bruce suddenly gave up. Why bother trying to convince Aré? It never worked. He stood there staring blankly at Aré. It was so much easier when it was just him and Alfred. Why'd this guy have to get involved? "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Catch me? How do you move around without anyone noticing?"

Aré smiled. "Trade secret kid." He seemed to think for a moment. "I'll make you a deal Bruce. If you can learn to listen to me and Alfred and stop trying to sneak out at every turn I'll teach you how to move like I do. But only if you listen. And it's not just Alfred and me you have to listen to. It's your teachers too, which is another thing. I'll only teach you the things I know if you begin to apply yourself. I want you to really try. You know, just because your parents aren't around anymore doesn't mean they don't watch over you. I'm willing to bet they're worried about what you've begun to do. By the way you're living your life. A lot of people worry about you. Alfred does all the time."

"Do you?"

Aré nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm worried that if you keep going down the path you've chosen to walk you're going to end up in a place you don't really want to be. I've walked the road you're on Bruce. The outcome of your actions don't just affect you. They affect those around you too. As I said, I'll teach you, but only if you really try to turn your life around. Is that a deal?"

Bruce thought about it for a moment. Could he really just let go of his anger? Doubtful. But then again, if he could focus that anger in the direction it really needed to go. He looked up at Aré with a new look of determination on his face. "It's a deal." He said.

"Wonderful." Aré held out his hand and Bruce shook it. Bruce realized that he just may get what he really wanted in the end of all this after all. One thing that could be summarized up in one word, revenge.


	5. Five: Older Than Expected

**A/N: **The episode 'Epilogue' states that Terry becomes Batman when he's 16. I'm going to go with that but for the record I want to state that Terry is 17 in this fic. Especially since this is about a year after he started.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Older Than Expected**

**Now**

"Wow." Terry couldn't think of much else to say. "So that was the 'problem child' stage?"

Aré laughed, "That was nothing compared to the things he would do when he was around fifteen. He puts your juvie to shame."

"You're kidding?" Terry looked at Bruce for some kind of conformation. The look on Bruce's face only made Terry smile. "You're not kidding."

"Nope, and I think he's currently plotting my untimely demise." Aré said, gesturing towards Bruce. He stood up from his place on the floor of the cave and brushed off his pants. "As much as I would love to stay and horribly embarrass Bruce I've got things to do before school on Monday and I need something to eat."

"You can't really be thinking about going to school. Everybody's going to know what you did tonight. The cops are looking for you even now."

"Why? Nobody saw me."

This guy must have lost his mind. Nobody saw him? What happened tonight was all over the vid. How could he possibly think nobody was going to know that was him?

"You glamuored." Bruce said.

"Yep."

"What?" Terry knew he was missing something.

"I'll explain it to you later."

"Go on home Terry." Bruce said. "Your mother must be very worried, especially if she saw what happened tonight."

Terry hadn't really thought about that. He knew his mother would have been watching if for nothing more than to catch a glimpse of her son on TV. Besides, he knew he would never win if he argued with Bruce. He still hated the idea of leaving and knowing Aré could get into the cave.

"Go home Terry." Bruce said again, a little more authority behind it.

Terry knew there was no arguing with him. "All right. I'll see you tomorrow then."

After Terry had left Aré and Bruce had a moment of awkward silence. "So... uh..."

"You don't need to say anything. I know why you've been gone."

"Yeah but… I've been gone for twenty years."

"Not quite."

"Okay, so there was those few months after you called and told me about having to quit. Wooptie flippin do."

"When did you get back?"

"That's kind of ironic really. I got back the same night Batman was 'reborn.' I'd have contacted you sooner but I had no idea what to say to you. Believe me, my absence was not voluntary."

"I know."

Aré smiled. "I get the hint. I just hope they don't want me to come back anytime soon. I hated that job. I'm glad that they won't ask me to take over permanently."

"I hear you did well."

"Yeah, that's what scares me." He shrugged. "I'll tell you all about it later. I'm gonna head out. I'll come harass you tomorrow." He waved as he headed towards the exit. "Later."

* * *

Terry met up with Max early the next morning. There were things he wanted to check out and he knew she was probably the only other person he knew who could dig up information as fast as Bruce. He wasn't sure there would even be any information on Aré but he was willing to look. The two had been searching the net for a couple hours and had only found scant traces of the man mentioned over the past twenty years. "What if we went further back? He said that he met Bruce when he was ten." Terry suggested.

"It's worth a try." Max keyed in a new command search and bingo. "It's an old police report. Let's see." She scanned through the file. "Date of Birth, June 28. Now this is strange."

"What is it?"

"There's no year. It's been blacked over."

"He told me he was over four-hundred years old. And from some of the things Bruce has told me I believe it."

Max's expression turned to one of thought. "I wonder." She punched in a few keys. "About two years ago I remember that a database on ancient myths was created and used what records there were from between the years 1300 and 1700 to try and link some people with those myths. Some of them even have birth and death records. Some of these places don't even exist anymore, if they ever did." She went to the database and typed in Aré's name."

"Is that a hit?"

"That's a hit." Max opened the link and the two looked at the profile. "Aré Enzeru, born June 28, 1567 to Lady Hana and King Kane of the Seelie Court." The two looked at each other in disbelief. "This has got to be a joke, right?"

"The date of birth matches what he told me. Did that say King Kane?"

"Yes." She pointed to the name. "It says this document was printed in 1657, he'd have been around ninety." Max scrolled down more, "Says he's got two sisters and two brothers. Stepmother; Queen Sora of the Seelie Court. Took the name 'Oni' in 1615. This is some of the strangest stuff I've seen."

"I've seen stranger, believe me." Terry reached over and scrolled down the page, reading as he went. "Well I've got two possible theories on the guy."

Max turned and looked at him. "And those would be?"

"One, the man we've been talking to is just someone pretending to be Aré."

"And the second option?"

"He's been alive for almost five hundred years."

"That's impossible."

"That's one word I've learned to remove from my vocabulary." They continued to read through the profile and found that people had spotted him over the next two hundred years. Even after the database entries had ended they did find minute traces of him in newspapers and other reports from 1700 until the early twenty-first century. Then he just seemed to disappear without a trace. Only the few traces they had been able to find before looking to the database was the only indication that he'd been alive at all during those years.

"There's a picture file here. Earliest known photograph of Aré Oni." Max clicked on it and brought up a picture that had been taken in the early 1890's. "Now this is scary." She said, not able to keep the shock out of her voice. The face that looked back at them from the photograph matched the man they had met the other day to a T. His hair was a little longer and he was wearing the clothing of the time but it was definitely him. "He'd have been over three hundred years old in that picture."

Terry had to admit to himself that he was impressed. If this guy was just pretending to be Aré Oni, which he seriously doubted, he was doing a very good job. "Look up a word for me will you? Glamour, Bruce said that Aré glamoured."

Max pulled up the dictionary and put in the word. "Glamour: the quality of fascinating, alluring or attracting, especially by a combination of charm and good looks. Excitement, adventure and unusual activity. Magic or enchantment used by beings of magic, especially those of the Fae realms, to change their forms and/or to make their appearance different. The truth only seen by those the Fae want to see." Max raised a skeptical eyebrow at the last one.

_Nobody saw me._ "Max, you've seen the vid footage from the other night at the fund raiser right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did they show a picture of the guy who attacked Bruce?"

"Here I'll pull up one." She did so and the scene looked nothing like what Terry had experienced the night before. The man in the photograph looked nothing like Aré.

"This is what you saw?"

"Everyone saw this."

"I didn't." Terry looked at the screen for a minute. "Think you can copy all this for me?"

"Somehow I thought you were going to ask that." Max burned the information and pulled out a mini CD. "Going to take this to the old man?"

"Sure am." Terry took the disc, thanked Max and left for Wayne's. He had some questions that needed answering.

Max on the other hand, had plans of her own. She pulled out another CD and burned a copy of the information for herself. She knew Terry wouldn't like it but she was going to do her own investigation. Taking the newly burned CD from the drive she grabbed her things and left.

* * *

Terry knew Bruce was probably going to want to kill him after this. He pulled up the drive to Wayne Manor and sat in the driveway thinking for a minute. He was still uneasy with the whole situation and he didn't trust Aré as far as he could throw the guy but there was something.... something in the back of his mind that he couldn't figure out. Terry was sure he didn't like it. He got off his bike and headed into the house. To his surprise Wayne wasn't in the cave. Then again, he usually didn't hide down there until after dark. Bruce was in his library, looking through a few books that he had pulled off the shelves.

Bruce didn't even look up from what he was doing, "You're here a little early." He said.

Terry shrugged. "Had some things I wanted to check out. I found something," he pulled out the CD, "you interested?"

Now Bruce did look up. "What is that?"

"I did a little digging on your friend." There was the glare Terry knew he was going to get. "I don't trust him Bruce. Not yet anyway. You seem to though. How well do you know this guy?"

"Better than you know him."

"What if he's lying? What if he's not who he says he is?" Bruce continued to glare. "Would you at least look at this?" Terry got a little satisfaction when Bruce stood, took the disc and headed for the cave. _Even if everything in there is true._ Terry thought. _At least now I'll know for sure._ He followed Bruce down into the cave and waited patiently.

Bruce put the CD in the Bat Computer and waited for it to load. Once it did he began to scroll down through the information. His reaction as he read was not exactly one Terry expected. At first Bruce only looked mad but his expression softened as he continued to read. When he was done he pulled up the picture taken in the 1890's and looked at it for a long moment.

Terry didn't want to seem impatient but, "Well?" He asked. "What do you think?"

"It's very... interesting." Now there was one word Bruce _rarely_ used.

"Interesting, huh? For you to say 'interesting' then it's got to be good. What do you think of the picture?"

Bruce turned his chair to face Terry. "I've got the original upstairs. Is it so hard to believe that he's who he says?"

Terry was about to say yes but stopped himself before the word passed his lips. He'd been Batman for almost a year now and he'd seen things that people don't usually see. He just stared down at the man before him. "Everything he said last night, it was the truth?" Bruce nodded. "You really trust Aré?"

"With my life."

It took a lot for Bruce to trust someone, especially with his life. Terry wasn't even sure Bruce trusted him that far. But if the old man could trust him then maybe Terry could to, in time. There was just one more question Terry had to ask. "How much does he know... about all this?"

A hint of a smile crossed Bruce's lips. "He knows everything; everything he said last night was true."

"You're sure?"

"McGinnis."

"Ok, ok." Now Terry smiled. "I just had to ask."

"I can't pretend to know everything about him. He's lived for so long, and I know there are many things about his past that he hasn't told me. When I was a kid I used to pry, I got a few hints here and there. Names of his parents and his siblings, things like that. The reason he wears the emerald."

"His sister, right?" Bruce nodded. Terry thought about what had happened the night before and remembered what Aré had said about Powers. He leaned up against the computer, "We'll have to ask him what he knows about Powers. I know I heard Aré mention him."

"I'll ask him tonight." He looked back to the information on the screen. "I hadn't realized there was so much information on Aré. I'd only been able to find a few traces of him in the early 1900's."

"Max said there was a database created a couple years ago that put all this stuff into it."

"Max helped you get this."

Terry nodded, and then a sudden thought struck him. "Oh, no." He grabbed his bag and ran up the stairs. "I'll see you tonight." He yelled back as he went.

Bruce watched him go then turned back to the computer and the picture of Aré.

* * *

Aré opened his front door and was surprised to see Max standing on the other side. "Hi, what are you doing here?" He asked.

Max shrugged. "I didn't have anything to do today so I figured I'd come visit. You don't mind, do you?"

Aré shook his head. "Not at all. Come on in."

Max entered the condo and waited for Aré to close the door. "Well, there is another reason I came over. I had a question I wanted to ask."

"Okay, shoot." Max just stared at him for a minute. Her moment of silence was all Aré needed to know where she was going to go. "You want to know about last night." Max blinked in surprise and a smile crossed Aré's lips. "You know a lot more than you let on, about a lot of things."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do." He moved passed her and headed further into the house. Max followed, she was becoming a little uneasy. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "I guess Terry told you about what happened last night."

"Everyone knows what happened last night. It was all over the vid."

Aré stopped and turned to her. "Not what I was talking about." Max froze. He knew, he just had to. "So, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Max pulled out the CD, "It has to do with what's on this disc."

Aré walked over to her, "Let's see what you've got on this." He took the disc and headed moved to his computer. When he bent to put the disc in the computer was when Max first saw it. Why hadn't see noticed _that_ before? His shirt had never covered it. She knew she should have seen it last night but she didn't. It wasn't like either of the symbols she had seen. "Nice tattoo." She said.

"Huh?" Aré seemed confused for a second. "Oh, the bat." He reached his hand back and touched the tattoo, which was on the lower right side of his back. It fit perfectly between the bottom of his shirt and the top of his pants. "I couldn't help myself when I got it. It just seemed fitting." He sat at the computer and watched as the information stored on the CD began to play itself out.

"How long have you had it?"

After skimming the information Aré looked at Max. "For about sixty years."

"What?" Max wasn't sure she had heard him right.

Aré gestured to the monitor. "This is good stuff. Scary thing is most of it is true." He came to the picture from the 1890's. "Ouch, did I really wear that?"

Max was having a slight information overload. She knew that Terry had seen strange things since he had become Batman and knew he could probably handle weird things like this but she was having a hard time wrapping her head around it. Aré hadn't exactly come out and said it but he'd practically just admitted to being almost five-hundred years old. "That picture was taken in the 1890's." Her voice was shaking slightly.

"I know, 1894 to be exact."

"That was roughly one hundred fifty years ago."

"One hundred fifty three, but hey, who's counting?" He turned his chair to face her and leaned back in it. "So, what was your question?" He was smiling again. "It's the one you're not sure you can state isn't it? You want to know if I'm really the guy you've been looking up, don't you?"

Max swallowed. That was exactly what she wanted to know. The question just seemed too ridiculous to ask. She decided to go for a different approach. She raised an eyebrow and put on a skeptical face. "It says the man there was born in 1567."

"I know." Aré was practically laughing.

"You're –"

"The very same." That was it. Max absolutely could not believe the man sitting before her was the same man she and Terry had been looking up earlier that morning. "You want a drink?" Aré's voice broke Max out of her trance. She watched as he got up and headed for the kitchen. "I think there's some soda in the fridge."

"Uh... Sure." Max sat in the chair Aré had just vacated. _Okay,_ Max thought to herself._ I'm sitting in the home of a man who's been around for almost half a millennia. At least that's what he claims. But all the facts point to the very same conclusion. Let's say, for the sake of argument, he really is that old. He looks good for his age, I'll give him that._ Something cold touched Max's forehead. "Huh?"

Aré was standing in front of her. He'd put the can of soda against her forehead to get her attention. Max took the can and downed half of it after opening it. "It's a lot to take in isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She took another sip. "Nobody in school's going to believe this."

"Nobody in school's going to know about this."

That made Max a little nervous. "Why do you say that?"

"'Cause we're not going to tell them. Why should they know?" The door bell rang, demanding Aré's attention. "Be right back." Max only nodded as he went to answer the door.

Aréwasn't at all surprised to see Terry this time. "Where's Max?" Terry asked.

"Living room." From the look Terry gave him, Aré could tell that it was going to take some time to gain Terry's trust. "She's fine." Aré reassured Terry, he gestured Terry into the house and Terry went in. Aré led Terry into the living room where Max was sitting. She looked like she was staring off into space but her eyes focused the second Terry entered the room.

Terry went straight over to Max. "You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Max reassured him.

"She's having a hard time wrapping her head around all this." Aré said. "I have to admit I'm surprised Bruce let you share the 'big secret' with someone."

"He didn't." Max said. Her shock was wearing off and her natural personality was beginning to show through. "I figured it out all on my own."

Aré was intrigued. "Really? I'm impressed."

"When did you figure out I knew?"

Aré thought for a moment. "I got the clue when I first brought up Batman at lunch yesterday. You need to learn to be more discreet. How did you figure out Terry was Batman?"

"I wrote a computer program to look at certain parameters to figure out who in our school was most likely to have a double life. At first I thought Terry was a Joker. How'd you figure it out?"

He raised an eyebrow and his expression seemed to say, 'duh!' "It was real easy for me. Anyone who knows Bruce was Batman would be able to put two and two together."

"Oh."

"So, anyway, now that we've got that out of the way. What should we talk about next? We've established the fact that I'm a really good looking old guy." He took a seat on the couch. "Anything else you want to know?"

Terry was going to say something but Max spoke first. "Terry seems to think you were the one who tried to kill Mr. Wayne last night."

"That was me, but I wasn't trying to kill him. It was all a set up. Although Bruce didn't know anything about it. Dick wanted his reaction to look genuine. It worked."

"Dick?"

"Dick Grayson." Terry said.

"Look, I'm sorry, but the guy I saw on the vid looked nothing like you." Max said to Aré.

"Only a few people saw who I really was. Everyone else saw the person you saw."

"You never did tell me how you got away." Terry said.

"And you never told me how you got your job." Aré said to Terry. "I guess we've both got a couple stories to tell." Aré clapped his hands together. "But, now you've got your answer. Barbara is probably reaming Dick and when she's done I know she's going to come have a few words with me. Are you headed to Bruce's anytime soon?"

"I just came from there." Terry said, "Why?"

"There is some stuff I need to relay to you and Bruce. I don't have very much information on Powers. From what little I know Paxton's been hiding out in Europe and only recently reentered the US. I was able to do a little digging in Damien's office. The files regarding Paxton and their plot to kill Bruce were buried deep in his computer. I was able to hack them and that's how I got some very interesting information."

"You hacked a computer inside Wayne-Powers?" Max asked, skeptically.

"It's Wayne Enterprises, and yes I did. I'm pretty good with computers. I helped Bruce put his together. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get everything off the computer. I was interrupted before I could get everything. Before the police can do anything I need to get the information off the computer. What time do you go out on patrol?"

"After dark, around 9:30-10:00." Said Terry.

"Great," Aré looked at a nearby clock, "that's about eight hours from now. I'll meet you at the manor and then you and I can play a little B&E tonight." He stood, "I hate to rush you out but I've got a lot of things to do."

"That's okay." Max said, "We should be going anyway." As Aré led them to the door, Max pointed out the tattoo to Terry.

"Nice tattoo." Said Terry.

"You like it?" Terry shrugged and nodded. He had to admit it was cool. "You should see Bruce's." The two teenagers were surprised to hear that statement. "That's a story in and of itself. Don't think the one I told you last night was the end of it. I've got a million of them."

Terry and Max said goodbye and left the condo. They both knew a lot more about Aré than they had earlier that morning. Terry couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something about Aré's actions. They seemed sincere. Terry couldn't read people like the old man could but he was beginning to like the guy. Trust had to be earned and Aré was slowly, but surely, earning Terry's trust. Aré had purposed breaking into Wayne Enterprises to get the information needed to bring down Powers and Damien. Maybe with that little venture he could figure out how Aré had gotten away the night before.

* * *

Barbara was very angry at the man on the other end of the phone. She had given him a piece of her mind the minute he called and told her everything that had happened. She had stopped her rant and was letting Dick _try_ to explain himself. Which he was surprisingly doing a very good job of. "I was going to call you and tell you about it. I figured you would be the best person to collaborate with. Figured we could get this guy behind bars but it didn't work out that way." Dick began.

"Why didn't you tell me in the first place?" Barbara demanded.

"I said I was going to. I'd been following up leads; everything was just a theory at the time. Once I got enough evidence to do something I was going to call. I thought with our expertise we would have figured out something that had roughly the same effect."

"What changed your mind?"

"Aré, he just showed up at my office one day about a year ago. I couldn't believe it. I think the worst part of it is that we can see ourselves age and know his body will never change from the way we knew as kids. No matter how many years go by."

"I know, it's disgusting."

Dick laughed and Barbara couldn't help but smile too. "Tell me about it. Anyway, back to what I was saying. He just showed up out of the blue. Wanted to know how things were going with all of us. We did some catching up and I told him about the 'suspected' plot against Bruce's life. He told me he wanted to help; he was the one who came up with the idea. I started to spread rumors about him being a very good assassin and Damien took the bait. We've got evidence about Damien's involvement with Powers but unfortunately it's not enough to prosecute. Aré told me about things that were stashed on the computer. He was going to send me the information but he couldn't get it off in time. You might want to track him down; it wouldn't surprise me if he tried to get the evidence again. He can be just as stubborn as Bruce when he wants to be."

"Problem is I don't have his new address."

"I'll E-mail it to you. He's got a condo I think. Bruce set us all up to be pretty well off. We all disagreed, a lot, but I wasn't too surprised to find that he had accounts for all of us just in case we needed it."

"Neither was I." Barbara quickly checked her E-mail and saw that Dick had already sent Aré's address. "Thanks Dick. I'll talk to you soon."

"You better."

The conversation over, Barbara hung up the phone and looked at the address. She was going to head over there as soon as possible but thought better of it. There was an easier way to find Aré. She left her office and headed over to Wayne Manor.

* * *

When Barbara arrived at the manor she found everyone down in the cave. She had to stop for a moment and just stare at the figures gathered around the computer. She still couldn't believe Aré was back in town after so many years. Her shock the night before had nothing to do with the attack, just the appearance of the attacker himself. It was a face she never expected to see again. "You better not be planning anything illegal." She said as a way of making her presence known.

"Of course not." Aré said, glancing over his shoulder at her. There was that smile she had seen so much growing up. It was also one that told her they were planning something. "Just your standard B&E."

"Breaking and entering is a crime."

"Never used to stop us before."

"It's not really a crime if I'm allowing them in." Bruce said.

"And exactly where are you planning on breaking into?" Barbara asked.

"Wayne Enterprises." Said Terry

"Dick said you'd probably be trying to do something like that."

"Is he still alive?" Aré asked, "He did survive the beating you gave him right?"

Now it was Barbara's turn to smile. "Yes he survived. Although I would like to have a few words with you."

"You're free to yell at me all you want, but not now. Feel free to do it after we get back. I just want to nail this guy first. You need information on Powers and his relation do Maxwell Damien. We need to get to that computer before anyone has a chance to delete the information. Since you've held up Damien for the night and he wouldn't be stupid enough to go back to the office, this should give us ample time to get in and get out before anyone knows we're there. You want evidence, let me go get it."

Barbara sighed and watched as Bruce keyed something into the computer. A floor plan of Wayne Enterprises appeared on the screen and a route to Damien's office was laid out before them. "You can get in on the forty-fifth floor entrance and make your way to the western stairwell." Bruce pointed out and the image on the computer moved to follow along with his plan. "From there head up to the ninetieth floor, there's enough room in the stairwell to use your grapple. Don't use your boosters; they'll create too much noise. Once you get up there you'll be able to get into Damien's office on the east side. You can be in and out in no more than half an hour; forty-five minutes at most."

Aré shook his head. "No, too slow. Can you bring up a diagram of the surrounding buildings?" Bruce did so and Aré looked them over. "We come in from here," Aré pointed to the building next to Wayne Enterprises, "we grapple over to the ninety-first floor, go down to Damien's office, hack the computer, leave through a nearby window. In and out in fifteen minutes."

"Why didn't you think of that?" Terry asked Bruce.

"I did," Bruce said. He turned to Aré, "You think you can pull it off?"

"Absolutely." Aré smiled and grabbed Terry. "Let's go kid." The two of them headed off towards the Batmobile.

"You going to let me in on how you got away earlier?"

"Maybe."

The two got into the vehicle and headed out towards Wayne Enterprises. "Aren't you going to need supplies?"

"I took the liberty of placing my supplies at our staging building earlier." Aré tried to get the kink out of his legs from his position in the back of the Batmobile. "You know, one would think that with all his millions Bruce could have afforded to put a back seat in this thing?"

"How did you know Bruce was going to go along with your plan?"

"I didn't. But even if he said 'no' I really wouldn't have listened. It doesn't really matter which plan we put into action, the results will be the same. My way is just faster. We'll have less chance of getting caught, and I want to take Damien's computer for all it's worth. Once we get the evidence, we should be able to put both Damien and Powers away for a very long time."


	6. Six: A Little B and E

**A/N:** Holy crap this chapter's long and so is my explanation. Well not as long as the previous one but close enough. I feel that I need to make a few things clear before I continue the story. First off would be my timeline. According to Wikipedia Terry was born on June 27, 2023. I like the month and day but the year doesn't work. According to the audio commentary for "Rebirth" they say that the story starts 50 years from the current time of production, which would have been in '97 and placed the story in around 2047. That's the year I'm going with. I have Bruce pegged as being born in 1967 and Terry in 2030. I went and figured all this stuff out before I started writing the story. ;P

Another thing I need to point out, in the first chapter I stated that I would be referencing Japanese quite a lot throughout the story. I've finally started to use it in this chapter. What looks like gibberish towards the end of the chapter is actually Aré speaking Japanese. The translation are in between the [ ] if you want to skip the Japanese and just read the English. I, unfortunately, don't speak fluent Japanese and used an online translation site to write the dialogue. So anyone who can actually speak Japanese fluently please forgive any mistranslations. I'm not going to put a pronunciation guide for every word 'cause that would take too long but what I am going to put should help.

The vowel's in Japanese sound a little different from what we're used to in English.  
'a' sounds like the 'a' in _father  
_'e' sounds like the 'e' in _pet  
_'i' sounds like an 'ee' in _feet  
_'o' sounds like 'oh' or 'so'  
'u' sounds like 'oo' in _fool_

* * *

**Chapter Six: A Little B and E**

Batman parked the Batmobile a few buildings away from the building he and Aré were going to break into Wayne Enterprises from. The two had been jumping rooftops to get to their destination. When they finally made it to their staging building Aré got to work assembling his supplies. Aré removed his trench coat and Batman waited as he readied himself for their job. A harness with a magnetic grapple, glasscutters attached to the belt at Aré's waist. A pair of leather gloves covered Aré's hands and he placed a comlink into his ear and tested its reception. "Testing, testing. Bruce, can you hear me now?"

The reference to the old Verizon commercial was not lost on Bruce. "Yes."

"Good." He turned his attention to Batman, "Wait here, I'll have an opening for you in just a minute."

Aré took aim with his grapple and shot the end into the support structure just above the window he was planning on breaking into. After securing the line on his end and making sure it wouldn't come off on the other end, he attached his harness to the zip line and swung down to the other building.

Batman watched from his perch as Aré secured himself on the opposite building and began to work on cutting the window and carefully removing the glass. For a moment it looked like the cut away glass was going to fall out of Aré's grip but he fixed his grip on the glass and slowly set it down inside the building.

_He's obviously done this before._ Batman thought to himself. He waited until Aré went thought the window then glided down to the open window and made his way inside. Aré was removing his harness and pulled out a miniature flashlight once he was done. He motioned "_lead the way_" to Batman who in turn headed down the eastern corridor. They kept to the shadows and were extremely silent as they walked down the halls. Once or twice they had to hide as security made its rounds. With security going around they both prayed that nobody would notice the broken window. No alarms had gone off yet and for that they were both thankful. The last thing they needed was for security looking for intruders in the building.

The two of them finally made it to Damien's office and with a little help from Bruce's computer hacking skills, were able to open the electronic lock on the office door. "This is too easy." Batman mumbled to himself.

"Don't say that." Aré hissed. When Batman tilted his head to the side in slight confusion Aré pointed to the communicator in his ear. "Every time someone says that something bad happens." He quickly made his way to Damien's computer and booted it up. Once it was booted he began keying in commands. After a moment or two he came to the password protected area of the computer's hard drive. Aré cracked his knuckles, "Now the fun begins." He pulled out a mini CD and inserted it into the computers disc drive. His fingers began to fly over the keys as the program came to life. Accessing the net he opened a channel to the Bat Computer. "You ready to receive all the good stuff?" Aré asked Bruce.

On his end, Bruce readied his computer to receive the intended information. Aré was downloading everything and anything that looked important. "What's this?" He heard Aré whisper, obviously to no one in particular.

"What is it?" Both Bruce and Batman asked at the same time.

"I don't know yet. Looks like a message." Clicking, "Nope, I'm going to have to dig deeper into the mainframe in order to see it. Damien's gone a little overboard with protecting this particular file."

"Which means it's probably worth looking at." Batman said.

Bruce could hear the smile in Aré's voice. "That's right."

Batman looked over Aré's shoulder but was mindful of what else was going on around them. He thought he heard someone coming towards the office door. He quickly moved to the door and placed his fingertips on the door and listened to what was on the other side. He heard whistling and it was coming closer. Pulling his hand away from the door Batman quickly made his way to Aré. "We've got company coming." He said.

Aré looked up from his work and his gaze went straight for the door. The sound of the door handle beginning to jiggle prompted a, "hide," from the two men. Aré quickly shut off the computer screen and dived under the desk, pulling the chair back into place. Batman on the other hand turned on his camouflage and took a few steps back from the desk.

The door opened and a security guard entered the room. He swept his flashlight through the room and appeared satisfied with what he saw. The guard began to leave the room and Batman started to get worried when he turned around and went back towards the desk. Batman watched Aré scoot a little further under the desk. The guard moved around and was standing right in front of Aré. Both men held their breath, if the guard saw Aré Batman was ready to knock the man out and get out of there quick if need be.

To the relief of the two hiding men, the guard repositioned the chair so that it was in its proper position by the desk then turned and left the room. After a moment or two Batman and Aré were able to start breathing again. "That was close." Said Aré as he crawled out from under the desk.

"Too close, are we almost done?" He asked.

Aré retook his seat at the desk and, after turning the monitor back on, resumed his hacking. "Almost, a few more firewalls and...... Done." A smile crossed his face. "Complete and unlimited access to Maxwell Damien's personal office computer." A few key strokes later and, "let's see what was in that message." Aré pulled up the message he had found earlier and began to play it.

Paxton Powers face was the first thing that came into view. His expression had been set into a scowl. He obviously was not happy about something.

_"Damien, why haven't I seen any news reports about Bruce Wayne's untimely demise? I would have thought it would be done by now."_

A brief pause then Damien's voice, _"Finding a good assassin is a tough job these days. Just give me a few more days. I've spoken to a man who has an excellent reputation. The 1.5 million was enough to get him through the door. Unfortunately when he heard who the target was he wanted more."_

_"How much more?" _Powers didn't seem amused at having been told that he was going to have to fork over more money.

_"In total he wants double the original price. Though he's got a point, a public assassination puts us all in jeopardy. Wouldn't it be easier to kill the man in his sleep or something? Why do we have to be so flashy?"_

_"Because I want the world to see Bruce Wayne's downfall. His testimony at my trial is what got me in this situation in the first place. It's his fault I have to hide like a common criminal. I want Bruce Wayne to pay with his life for what he did to me. I want this to happen today."_

There was a sigh from Damien. _"All right. You're my best friend and you know I'd do anything to help you out."_ Although Damien couldn't been seen in the recording you could visualize the smile on his face when he said, _"With Wayne out of the way, this opens my chance to run this company. I'll make sure this goes down tomorrow."_ There was emphasis on _tomorrow. "Be sure you watch to see the outcome."_

_"Of course. Your payment will be sent into each of the accounts you provided me. If all goes as planned, we'll both get what we want and a little extra to go with it. I'll contact you after Wayne is dead."_

The screen suddenly went blank. "I hate it when people just hang up on you." Aré said. "Of course you realize this means we have all the evidence against both Powers and Damien we'll need to convict them on multiple accounts."

"It still doesn't lead us to where Powers is." Batman said. "We have Damien, and with any luck he'll be put away for a long time. But what we really need is Powers."

As Aré downloaded the message to Bruce he said, "Maybe Bruce can trace where the call originated from. That's something I can't do on this computer."

Batman nodded in agreement. They were about to start wrapping up what they were doing when the security alarm went off. The two looked at each other then quickly began grabbing their things. Someone must have found the broken window. Crap! Crap, crap, crap! Aré pulled the CD from the computer port and stuffed it in his pants pocket. He shut the computer down and he and Batman quickly made their way from the office.

They didn't have to be told getting caught would be very bad. They tried to avoid as many of the security teams as possible. That was proving to be harder than they first thought. One option they had thought about was entering the air ducts so they wouldn't be seen. That option was beginning to look like a very good idea at the moment. Batman knew he could just camouflage himself if he had to but Aré wasn't able to make use of that ability.

Bruce's voice through their communicators startled the two men for a moment, "You have to hurry and get out of there. The police will arrive in a few minutes. If you get caught, Barbara and I won't be able to give you an alibi."

Aré bit back his sarcastic remark. Bruce had a way of stating the obvious that could irritate just about anyone.

"We should probably split up." Batman said.

"Good idea. Work our way around the city then head back to the cave. The last thing we need is someone following us there." Batman nodded in agreement and at the next juncture the two parted ways.

At least, that's what they were going to do. They somehow managed to run into the security teams that had made sweeps of the building, starting with the broken window. All parties were frozen for a moment, just staring at each other in shock. "Ah, crap." Both Batman and Aré said in unison.

It was just about that time that the members of the security team they were facing came to their senses. Weapons were drawn and pointed at the two intruders. "Hold it right there!" One of the officers said.

Aré put his hands up by his head. "Wow, uh, hi. I was just looking for a bathroom." He gave Batman a questioning look. "I didn't know you could get arrested for wanting to pee, did you?"

Batman shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Nope, not a clue."

Their little exchange enticed a few confused looks from the officers around them. To the guards, they seemed completely oblivious to the fact they were in serious trouble. The officer that had yelled to them earlier now made his way towards the two. "I want your hands to stay where I can see them, and don't do anything foolish. Some of my men happen to be trigger happy. Any sudden movements and you will be shot."

A corner of Aré's mouth curved upwards as a smile started to form on his face. "Sure, whatever you say." Then faster than either the guard or Batman could blink, Aré's hands shot out and grabbed the officers weapon and hurled it towards the window, shattering it and sending hundreds of glass shards falling towards the streets below. Grabbing Batman's arm Aré threw both Batman and himself out of the ninetieth floor window.

Neither Batman nor any of the guards saw that coming. "Are you crazy!?" Batman yelled at Aré, who had spun himself so that he was going feet first as they fell.

Aré shrugged, "Maybe." He didn't seem the least bit concerned by the fact that Batman was his only way from becoming road kill on the pavement below. "Aren't you going to turn on those boosters of yours or at least slow your descent?"

"What about you?" Batman asked. Then to Batman's surprise Aré seemed to just stop in mid air.

"What about me?" He asked a smile on his face as he watched Batman continue to fall.

It took Batman about a second to recover from his shock and ignite his boosters and become level with Aré again. "Why didn't you tell me you could do that!?"

"How about run now, ask questions later? I would still rather not get caught by the police." Batman nodded his agreement and no sooner did he turn around did Aré cry out in pain. The two looked up to the window they had jumped out of and saw the security guards all pointing their guns at them and one of those guns happened to be smoking. Aré's right arm was starting to bleed badly. "Can we go now?"

"Right." The two sped off in the direction of the Batmobile. Once there they made their way to the cave. Luckily no one followed them. That was probably due to Barbara's influence in the police force. There were times when it was a really good thing to be friends with the commissioner. "How's your arm?"

"Bleeding. Sorry about the upholstery. You're going to need to wash the inside of this thing once we get back. Blood likes to stain."

"You've been shot! How can you joke about that?"

"It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious."

Batman knew better than to argue the point. Aré was right though, he could see there was indeed blood covering the area Aré was leaning against. They made it back to the cave in about twenty minutes. Deciding it best to take the long way around just to be on the safe side.

Once inside the cave the two exited the vehicle and Terry went straight for the first aid kit. Upon seeing this, the first thing Bruce asked was, "Run into trouble?"

"Aré was shot." Terry replied.

Bruce's gaze shot towards Aré who was looking between the two other men in the cave with a look of slight annoyance on his face. "I said it's just a flesh wound. It's not that serious."

"Tell that to the blood running down your arm." Terry yelled to him.

"And you just had to say that it was 'too easy' didn't you?" Aré yelled back to Terry. He turned to Bruce, who was already out of his chair and pushing Aré towards the gurney. "It looks worse than it really is. Trust me."

"I'll be the judge of that." Bruce said. After Aré sat on the gurney he removed his hand and let Bruce examine his injured arm. Aré had been right, the wound wasn't as bad as it looked, though it was worse than Aré was letting on. The bullet had actually gone completely through his arm. The angle at which he had been shot had allowed for the bullet to pass safely. Aré managed to sit still while Bruce cleaned and bandaged his wound. "You don't need stitches but be careful when moving your arm. I don't want that wound to open."

"Neither do I." He hopped off the gurney and headed straight for the computer. "Please say we got something useful. I don't want to have been shot for nothing."

"You weren't shot for nothing." Bruce said, returning to his seat at the computer. "There is more than enough evidence against both Powers and Damien to put them away for years, life if we're lucky. I've set the computer to try and track where the original message came from. Powers bounced his signal from various satellites around the world. It's going to take some time to pinpoint his location. This message was sent only a couple of days ago. With any luck, Powers won't be too far from the location he sent his message."

"Well, since we're waiting for the computer to do its thing I've got a few more questions to ask." Terry said, making his way towards the two. He looked straight at Aré and the surprise was evident in his voice when he exclaimed; "You can _fly_!"

Aré gave Terry a sheepish look, "Yeah, since I was about sixteen."

"And you didn't think it important to share that _before_ we went on our little excursion? You're whole zip-line thing was just for show. What else can you do?"

"A lot, you see, I'm not exactly human."

Terry turned his attention to Bruce, "And you knew about this?" Bruce nodded. "What else don't I know that I probably should? What do you mean when you say you're not 'exactly human'? Are you an alien or something?"

Bruce and Aré looked at each other. "Um..... Terry, twenty questions, not my thing. I'm not obligated to tell you _everything_ about me but I will give you a few things that will hopefully tide you over."

"Okay, like what? What you are and how you can do the things you can or-"

Bruce was getting tired of Terry's consistent questions. "McGinnis sit down and shut up."

Terry's mouth closed instantly and he waited patiently, or as patiently as was possible for him at the moment, for Aré to start talking.

Aré took a breath and looked at the waiting Terry. After a quick debate in his mind as to exactly what he would divulge he sat down on the cave floor and leaned back against the computer. "Well, okay, let's see, um… We've established that I'm really old; look good for my age and that I can fly. I was born on Earth on an island on the southern coast of Japan. The island cannot be found, except by those who already know where it is. As for my not exactly human-ness, I'm only half human."

"What's the other half?" Terry asked.

"Fae."

"What?"

"Fae are a race of magical beings, similar to Elves except that they're a little more powerful and have more influence than Elves do."

"More influence in what?"

Aré rolled his eyes, "Something to do with the political hierarchy. I don't really understand it. You see, Fae live in a place called the 'Realms.'" Terry arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know sounds kind of flakey huh? I've been there, but I absolutely refuse to live in the Realms."

"So what does that make you? The information Max and I found said something about a king."

"He's a prince." Bruce said matter-of-factly.

Aré flinched. "Please, don't remind me."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "A prince?" He asked.

Aré gave Bruce the death glare. "You just had to say that didn't you? You know I hate being reminded of that!"

"I have to get my kicks in when I can." Bruce said.

Aré looked at Terry with an almost helpless look, "It's not something I go around advertising. If I'd had my way I would have died centuries ago. Being immortal isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm not, and as a matter of fact the entire Fae race isn't either, what one would call an absolute immortal. There's no such thing, unless you're a god. I may not get sick or physically age anymore than twenty years but I can die. Now this isn't like 'Highlander' where the only way to kill me is to cut off my head, although that does work."

"'Highlander'?"

"Movie series from way before you were born. I get shot in the right place, I'm gonna die. We all saw earlier that I do bleed red. My blood does, however, have this kind of weird metallic sheen to it. There are obviously some big differences between what I am and someone who was born human."

"Wait," Terry was trying to process everything he was being told. After a minute he gestured for Aré to keep going. "Okay, keep going."

Aré seemed to think for a moment. "Well since we're talking about me being half human I guess I can tell you that my mother was human. It's my father I get my immortality and my powers from."

"Was?"

Now it was Aré who raised an eyebrow. "I'm almost five hundred years old. You really think she'd still be alive?"

"No, I guess not. But what about your dad?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in years. I don't have anything against him, just his wife. We don't exactly see eye to eye. She doesn't like me very much. The woman's got 'evil' written all over her. Especially after everything she's done." His voice had gotten darker. A moment passed, "Anyway, new topic."

Terry was intrigued by what Aré had just said but he knew he had to be cautious with his question. "What'd she do?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

"No problem, won't ask again."

"Natsume." Bruce said.

"Bruce." Aré warned.

"That's what you were thinking about, wasn't it?"

Aré nodded and his language suddenly switched as he again warned, "Bruce drooppu shi te i masu." [Drop it Bruce.] His voice was low and menacing.

Bruce ignored Aré's warning and leaned forward. "Since we're on the subject, you never did tell me everything about what happened to her. You did bring up the subject after all."

"Iia, anata yo!" [No, you did!] Aré snapped. "Kore ha kenmei ne jijitsu o shite watashi no yo una hanashi ha ari mase n! Go ryoushin o mochidasu sure ba yoi!? Desu ka? Iie! Kono watashi ha nada owatte i nai tame, onaji you ni watashi o jijitsu toshite shitte ha, nada owatte nani ga okotta no ka o shi te iru. O dono you ni kanji te itadaku you go renraku o sure ba yoi no shousai o oshie te kudasai anata no oya no sino desu ka? Sorera o mi ta mi t ato onaji you ni shinu Natsume! Watashi ga itta koto o nan do mo _kesshite_ buroochi o kae masu. Watashi ha sore o henshuu shi te koumoku nitsuite, watashi ha ima sugu hanashi te iru. Watashi nitsuite tazuneru tame te i nai koto o saido, sore o kuri! Desu ka?" [You know for a fact that's a subject I don't like talking about! Do I bring up your parents!? No! I'm not over this yet, just like I know for a fact that you're not over what happened to your parents. How would you feel if I asked you to tell me the details of your parent's death? You watched them die just like I watched Nastume! I've told you over and over _never_ broach that subject. I haven't talked about it in the past and I'm not talking about it now. So don't _ever_ ask me about it again, is that clear!?]

Aré's outburst made both Terry and Bruce jump. Bruce had apparently understood everything Aré had just said but Terry was at a loss. However Terry couldn't help but notice Aré's eyes when he snapped. _Did they just glow?_ He wondered. _Nah, I'm seeing things._ The language Aré used sounded familiar but Terry couldn't peg it.

An awkward silence fell over everyone in the cave. From the strange looks he was getting from Terry, Aré knew the boy hadn't understood a word he had just said. "I just switched languages didn't I?" A nod from Terry confirmed that. "In case you're wondering, English is my second language. My first language is Fae, you'd know it better as Japanese."

"Your people speak Japanese?"

"Actually the Japanese speak Fae. It was being spoken by both peoples way before I was born."

"Okay." Terry had no idea what that had to do with whatever he had just yelled at Bruce. Probably nothing for all he could tell. Aré took a deep breath and attempted to calm himself down. Thankfully a beep from the computer took everyone's mind off of what had just happened. Terry and Aré stood and turned to the computer.

"Looks like the trace program is finished." Bruce said.

"Do we have a location?" Terry asked.

A smile crossed Aré's lips as he looked at the location, "Metropolis."


	7. Seven: Not Quite Human

**Chapter Seven: Not Quite Human**

**Then**

Bruce ran across the grounds of Wayne Manor. It had been little over two years since Aré had come to live with them and they had been an interesting two years. Bruce made it through the last two grades with honors. He still got into trouble on occasion but it didn't seem to be as bad as it was when Aré had first arrived. In keeping to their agreement, Aré had been teaching Bruce how to sneak around unnoticed. Bruce practiced all the time but he was still never able to get away with anything with Aré around. He always managed to get caught, how that happened was beyond him.

He jumped over a bench and he kicked up dirt when he landed. His path had taken him to the front of the manor. He ran down the road and when he came to the gate he slowed down long enough to turn himself around and ran full tilt back towards the manor. His lungs burned from all of his running. He came to a screeching halt right below the front steps. He stopped the stopwatch he'd placed on the steps and looked at his time. "Yes!" He said between breaths. He'd beaten his old time by a minute and a half!

Bruce slowly made his way to the back of the manor and he found Alfred doing some gardening. Alfred heard him approach and turned around, "My word!" Bruce was covered in dirt from head to toe.

Bruce grinned broadly. "I beat my old time." He said proudly. "By a minute and a half," he displayed the stopwatch for Alfred to see.

"I see. However, you're not to go into the house with those filthy shoes. You're to take those off before you go inside." Alfred said, waving the miniature shovel at Bruce. "I'll not have you tracking dirt all over the house."

Bruce nodded, "Okay, track dirt all over the house, got it." He turned and headed for the house.

"Bruce." Alfred warned.

He turned back around and smiled at Alfred again. "I was joking." Alfred's eyes narrowed. He obviously didn't like the joke. "By the way, have you seen Aré? I want to show him my new—Ah!" Bruce yelled as a stream of cold water shot up his back. He turned to the source of the water, which continued to soak him even as he moved, to find Aré holding a garden hose and laughing hysterically.

"You looked like you needed a shower." Aré said between fits of laughter. "Figured I'd hose you down."

Bruce glared at Aré, though he wasn't very intimidating with little rivulets of dirt running down his face. This only made Aré laugh harder. "What was that for!? It's not funny!" Bruce yelled.

"Sure it is."

"No it's not!"

Aré lowered the hose and leaned forward. "Wha'cha gonna do about it small fry?"

Bruce balled his hands into fists; he was shaking with rage now. "WHO YOU CALLIN' SMALL!?" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You. You're what? Twelve? And you're all of four foot nothing. By the time I was your age I'd already hit five feet." He raised the hose and sprayed Bruce again. "Maybe a little water will help you grow a few inches."

"Stop that!"

"Why? Plan on doing something 'bout it short stuff?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Master Aré, must you continually tease him about his height?" Alfred asked.

Aré shrugged. "Gives me something to do." He pulled the trigger on the hose and Bruce got another face full of water. "And yeah, I must."

Bruce growled and took off running straight towards Aré. Aré dropped the hose and started running. They ran further out into the backyard. Alfred called after them in warning, "Be careful of the cliffs!"

The boy, and the man who acted like a boy, didn't seem to hear Alfred. Aré was laughing hysterically. Bruce was running as fast as he could to catch Aré. Aré's long strides kept him well out of Bruce's reach. It took no time at all to reach the cliffs.

"Slow down!" Bruce yelled.

"No," Aré yelled back, "'cause if I did you'd catch me. But if you grew a few more inches you might be able to keep up."

"Stop talking about my height!"

"Why?"

When Aré finally did stop he was standing on the edge of the cliffs. Bruce smiled in triumph, with Aré by the cliffs, there was nowhere for him to run to. He'd have to pass Bruce in order to get away. Even though Bruce was small, he had a good chance of catching the larger man should he try to run past him. "Got you now." Bruce said triumphantly.

Aré raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Oh you do, do you?"

Bruce nodded, "There's nowhere you can go."

Aré adopted a smile on his face too, however his was a sly one. "Is that what you think?" He looked around and his gaze settled behind him for a moment before he turned back to Bruce. "I see a number of ways that I can get past you."

Bruce was enjoying their game but when a few of the rocks fell out from under Aré's feet their game suddenly turned dangerous. "Maybe we should go back." Bruce suggested.

Aré shrugged. "Okay." As he went to take a step forward the ledge he had been standing on fell out from under him. Their gazes met and Aré let out an, "oh shit!" as he fell over the edge.

"Aré!" Bruce yelled. He ran as close to the edge as he could. He was hesitant to look over. He didn't want to see Aré's broken and bloodied body on the rocks. _Why didn't we listen to Alfred!?_ He asked himself. Bruce edged himself closer to the edge of the cliff. Very carefully, so as to not ending up joining Aré, Bruce looked over the edge. Bruce was surprised to not see Aré's body lying on the rocks. Though, it was possible he had bounced to an area that Bruce was unable to see. He called out once again, "Aré!" Panic was starting to set in. "Aré answer me! Please!" His eyes started to water, how was he going to explain this to Alfred? Alfred, that's it! "Hang on Aré, I'm going to get help." Bruce quickly stood and began to run back towards the manor.

"Bruce!" At the sound of his name Bruce stopped in his tracks. He spun back around, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. There was no disguising the shock on the boy's face. It took a moment for the boy's brain to process what his eyes were telling him. There was Aré, his arms and legs crossed and a hint of a smile on his face. But that wasn't what shocked Bruce the most, besides the fact that he had just seen Aré go over the cliff, Aré was upside down and hanging in _mid air!_

"H-h-how?"Bruce stuttered.

Now Aré did smile and he flipped himself over before letting his feet touch the ground. He wished he had a camera to capture the look on Bruce's face. "It's part of what I am." He said.

Bruce looked Aré up and down, still trying to understand what he had seen. "What do you mean part of what you are?" For every step that Aré took Bruce took a step back. "What are you?"

Aré stopped walking, the look on Bruce's face making his heart fall to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't meant to scare the boy but he'd had to use his ability to fly. He hadn't had any other choice. "Bruce, I didn't mean to scare you." He reached out a hand and the boy recoiled.

"Don't come near me!"

Aré pulled his hand back as if burned and then lowered it. He swallowed hard and turned his gaze away from the boy. "I'm sorry." He said softly. He looked at Bruce once more before turning and heading away from Bruce and the mansion. Aré started to run once he was a few feet away from the boy.

Bruce watched Aré's retreating figure. He had seen so much sadness on the man's face before he had left. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He'd been so scared just moments before that Aré had fallen to his death. He should have been happy that he was alive, but what did he do? He recoiled from him as though he was some kind of monster. He turned and started back towards the mansion.

When he got back Alfred was already inside and with all of his running around Bruce had managed to dry off, especially with it being almost ninety degrees outside. He went in through the kitchen and silently took his shoes off.

For some reason he couldn't figure out he was afraid. His mind wouldn't center on just what it was that scared him. Really, wouldn't the idea of someone being able to fly be cool? Had someone asked him earlier he would have said yes. Now though, he didn't know what to think. If Aré could do that then what else could he do? What exactly was he?

"Bruce?" Alfred's voice came from the doorway into the kitchen. "Is something wrong?" Bruce looked up, his face saying it all. "What happened? Where's Master Aré?"

Bruce felt a chill run up his spine and Alfred didn't miss the scared look that crossed the twelve year olds face. "He…. He um….." Bruce looked down and gripped his hands together to stop them from shaking. "We ran to the cliffs and I thought that I would be able to catch him. When we stopped he was standing right at the edge. Some of the rocks came loose and he fell over. I thought he was hurt bad but h-h-he…." He looked up and caught Alfred's gaze. "What is he? How could he do that?"

Alfred realized that Bruce must have seen Aré use his powers. It was something they had discussed telling the boy but had never actually gotten around to doing so. He motioned for Bruce to sit at the table. "He is unique." Alfred said after a moment. "And you have nothing to fear from him."

"You knew he could fly?"

Alfred nodded. "Yes, among other things. I would not have asked him to come here if I had thought he was dangerous. Where is he now? It would be best if he were the one to tell you about himself."

Again, Bruce looked down. "He left." He said. "I got scared and told him not to come near me. He said he was sorry then he left."

Alfred sighed deeply. That hadn't gone over as well as he had hoped. Though he could understand Aré's need to use his powers after falling over the cliff. However if they hadn't been running there in the first place this would not have happened. "Go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready shortly." Bruce gave a small nod then went to do as told. Alfred watched the boy go. This was not going to be easy. Alfred was going to have to work hard if he was going to get Bruce to understand who and what Aré really was. He would have to discuss it with Aré first but he thought that it was probably time to tell Bruce just what Aré was to the boy.

* * *

Aré walked silently down the long road leading away from the manor. He kicked at a stone in his path and watched it bounce and come to a stop a few feet in away from him. He realized that he really shouldn't have been too surprised by Bruce's reaction. That's how most people reacted to him, what made him think this would be any different? He eventually stopped walking found a place to sit along the road. He stayed for a long time just looking out over the valley that led into the city of Gotham.

Once it was good and dark outside Aré decided he should probably head back to the manor. He stood and started walking back. He had taken only a few steps before deciding he didn't want to walk so he rose himself into the air and flew back to the manor. Another reason for this was that he didn't want anyone to know he was back on the grounds. He flew in through his bedroom window and lay down on his bed.

He buried his head in his pillow, his mind still looping the image of Bruce's frightened expression over and over. He'd have to leave soon; there was no way he could stay after this. His throat tightened and a choked sob escaped his lips. He gazed out the window from his position on the bed and looked up at the stars dotting the sky. The moonlight shone in through the window casting him in a silvery light. _It would have been so much easier if I had been born normal._ He thought. _If I had been then I-_

There was a light knock on his door interrupting his thoughts but Aré didn't bother answering it. He didn't move at all, just continued to stare out of the window. He heard the door open and saw the light from the hall seep into the room as whoever it was entered. He had a feeling it was Alfred and he was proven correct when the man spoke. "Master Aré?"

"Would you drop the 'master' thing?" Aré asked, his voice muffled from covering half his face. "You know I don't like it."

Alfred entered the room completely and closed the door behind him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine." He lied. "Why do you ask?"

Alfred shook his head though Aré didn't see it. He moved to stand beside the bed. "I know about what happened earlier."

Aré visibly stiffened. "I'll leave soon. He's been pretty good lately so I don't think you'd have anything to worry about."

"You do not have to leave. This can be worked out."

"You didn't see his face." Aré tightened his grip on his pillow and turned his head more into it. "He was terrified of me."

"More like startled actually. You do remember that it is not every day one sees a man fly on his own." He sat down on the bed and placed a hand on Aré's shoulder. "I know this pains you but I believe it is time that we told Master Bruce the truth."

"Oh and scare the poor kid further. How about not?"

With his hand on Aré's shoulder Alfred could feel him shaking slightly. He had seen the pressure begin to build and knew that the dam was about to burst. Aré went through regular periods of emotional ups and downs with what he was. Bruce's reaction to him had been the final push against his mental dam. "Aré?"

Aré began to shake a little more. "I don't…. I couldn't…." He sat up and looked at Alfred, tears running down his cheeks. "I didn't ask to be like this. I-I didn't ask…" Aré buried his face in his hands and his shoulders shook as he sobbed. "I didn't ask to be this way." Aré may have been over four hundred years old but this was a pain time just could not erase.

Unfortunately there was not much Alfred could say so he went with the only thing he could think of. "I know." He said softly. He squeezed Aré's shoulder. This would pass, Alfred knew but it always took time. "I left some dinner for you in the kitchen should you want it."

Aré's sobs had lessened and now he sat with his arms wrapped around his legs. His eyes, from what Alfred could see with the minimal light, looked lost. "I'm not hungry, but thanks."

Alfred once again squeezed Aré's shoulder. "Aré, talk to Bruce. I think you'll find that he will be more accepting of you than you might think." He smiled at Aré when Aré looked at him from the corner of his eye. "Very few of your people live among mortals, you told me that yourself. You may not feel as though you fit in, that you do not belong here. But let me assure you that you do belong here. They say with age comes wisdom however I do not believe that to be true. I believe wisdom is obtained through experience. You have experienced a lot. You have lived a long time. Let me ask you; has there ever been a time that anyone in this family has cast you out? Has anyone ever told you that you do not belong here? Have they ever judged you simply because you are different?"

Aré's weak reply was a small, "No."

"I thought not. I may not be blood but I have never seen you as anything more than just you. I have never once judged you simply on the fact that you are a mystical being."

"Mystical is pushing it."

"You are half Fae."

"Don't remind me."

"Speak to Bruce. As I said, I think you'll find that he will be more receptive to you than you may think."

Alfred stood from the bed and made to leave the room and Aré watched him go. As Alfred was stepping out the door Aré called after him. "Alfred." Alfred turned and looked back at him. "Thank you. You have no idea how much your words mean to me." Alfred nodded and with a smile left the room, closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, Aré lay back on the bed. He returned his gaze to looking out the window and thought about Alfred's words. It was true that while he had known the Wayne family for a long time, for obvious reasons that he didn't want to think about at the moment, not a single one of them had shunned him for what he was. But that alone wasn't enough to ease his pain at being different.

Aré couldn't describe exactly what it was he was feeling. It was a combination of self-loathing, loneliness, hurt, the need for acceptance, and many other emotions that fought for dominance. He hated it when he fell into these bouts of depression but the look on Bruce's face only served to remind him that he wasn't normal. That he wasn't human.

He continued to lie there while his emotions ran rampant. Aré hugged his pillow and once again buried his face in it. While Alfred's words had helped they weren't enough at the moment to completely ease his depression and pain. He tried to hold back the sob that threatened to escape his lips again but was unable to do so after a few minutes. Not caring any longer, Aré silently cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Bruce woke up sometime during the middle of the night. He didn't know what time it was he woke up but the events of the previous day had yet to leave his mind. He kept looping what had happened at the cliffs over and over again. He felt really bad about it and he still didn't know if Aré had come back yet or not.

Leaving his bed, Bruce left his room and started towards Aré's. He moved silently, just like he had been taught. He really wanted to apologize to him but had no idea how to even begin to do so. For the longest time he just stood outside of Aré's room and stared at the closed door. Gathering his nerve, Bruce slowly and quietly opened the door and went inside.

He found Aré lying on his bed, his back facing the door and bathed in the silvery moonlight. Bruce found that he was quite glad to know Aré had come back. He crept over to the bed, his bare feet barely making any sound on the hardwood floor. He walked over to the other side of the bed so that he could see Aré's face. With the light coming in from the window he was able to get a good look at the older man's face.

Aré was fast asleep, to which Bruce was very grateful. He studied Aré's sleeping form for a long time. Aré lay on his left side and he was still hugging his pillow however his grip on it had loosened since falling asleep. His face was relaxed from sleep and he looked much younger than he really was and Bruce could also tell Aré had been crying.

Aré stirred and Bruce held his breath afraid that Aré was waking up. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when he didn't. The window had been left open in order to let the cool air into the room and when Aré shivered slightly was when Bruce noticed he was sleeping above his covers, his boots were still on and it looked to Bruce as though Aré had fallen asleep without meaning to. Either that or he hadn't bothered changing for bed.

Bruce silently moved to the end of the bed and carefully pulled off the light blanket that sat at the foot of the bed, careful not to wake Aré as he moved the blanket. He covered Aré up with it and then yawned, realizing that he was tired once again. He looked at Aré one last time before quietly leaving the room and returning to his own. He crawled back into bed and thought to himself that in the morning he'd talk to Aréand apologize for what had happened the day before. With one last yawn, he curled up and went back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning started as an uneventful one. Alfred had been the first one up, as usual, and Aré had woken up next but had yet to even get out of bed. After waking up he just lie there looking out of his window. He'd noticed someone, probably Alfred, had covered him sometime during the night because he didn't remember doing it himself. With a groan, and realizing that something must have died in his mouth last night, he grudgingly crawled out of bed. He grabbed some fresh clothes and went into the bathroom to shower and change and to remove the foul taste from his mouth.

Aré came out feeling quite refreshed about fifteen minutes later. He still didn't know what he was going to do though. Alfred suggested he talk to Bruce but he had a feeling that the boy was going to avoid him like the plague. He sighed and sat on the end of his bed, putting his boots back on. He sat there for a long time, elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands. What was he going to do? That question kept looping over and over in his mind.

There was a soft knock at his door and Aré rolled his eyes. He still didn't fell like talking to anyone so he didn't bother to answer the door. He just hoped that whoever it was on the other side of the door would go away. The person on the other side knocked a few more times. What part of the silence didn't they understand as _go away_? He felt himself stiffen when he heard the door open but refused to turn his gaze that way. He just continued to stare at the wall in front of him.

"Aré?" Aré went completely ridged at the sound of Bruce's voice. "Can we talk?"

Aré felt his chest tighten and he thought his throat would close up on him completely. He didn't trust his voice. Swallowing hard he pressed the base of his hands against his eyes. "What about?"

Bruce shifted uncomfortably, shifting back and forth from foot to foot. "Um, about yesterday."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'll be leaving soon."

"No!" Bruce cried. This made Aré actually look at him. Bruce noticed that Aré eyes looked lost and full of a pain that Bruce didn't understand but he knew he could relate. "I mean, please don't go. I don't want you to."

Aré looked confused. "But after what hap-"

"I'm sorry." Bruce interrupted. "I'm sorry I got so scared yesterday. I've never seen anyone do that and I…" Boy did his apology suck. "I'm just really sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Aré didn't know what to say. He was surprised Bruce had even come near him and now the boy was asking that he stay. He looked away from the boy and back down at his hands. "There's nothing to forgive Bruce. I understand your reaction. It's happened before; you'd figure I'd be used to it by now."

Bruce moved more into the room and sat on the bed next to Aré. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why should you be used to it by now. I know I wouldn't like it if people were scared of me like that. Why should you be used to that? I don't think it is something you should get used to."

Aré smiled and patted the boy's head. "When did you get so smart?"

Bruce smiled back, happy to see Aré's features brighten. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Guess I've been hanging around you and Alfred too long."

"Maybe, but Bruce, are you sure you really want me hanging around?"

The boy nodded, "Yep, but on one condition."

Aré felt his chest tighten again. "What condition?"

Bruce stood and moved so he was standing in front of Aré. "You have got to show me more of what you can do. I want to know everything about you. And you absolutely have to take me flying!"

Aré blinked a few times, he wasn't sure if he had heard Bruce right. "You…. You don't care that I'm, well, different?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. As I said, I'm sorry about how I reacted yesterday. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's alright Bruce, I understand. I'm sorry for scaring you like that though. That wasn't my intention."

Bruce shrugged. "I'm not afraid now." He smiled. "Come on, I think that if you don't come out of here Alfred is going to call the Marine's or something to come and get you."

Aré laughed and stood. "Okay, I could use something to eat anyway."

"Great." Bruce said. They headed out of Aré's room. "So, how long have you been able to fly? What else can you do? I mean, I've got like a billion questions and I don't know where to start."

"How about breakfast first." Aré suggested.

Bruce gave him a funny look. "Breakfast? It's closer to lunch now."

Aré hadn't realized he had been moping in his room _that_ long. "Okay, lunch then."

"What do you want?"

Aré shrugged. "Don't know yet. Let's go see what we've got." Together the two went down in the kitchen in search of food.

* * *

The two sat with plates of left over spaghetti in front of them during lunch. Bruce's questions were coming about a mile a minute and Aré was having a hard time keeping up. When Bruce said he wanted to know everything he meant _everything_. Aré couldn't remember anyone being so interested in what he was in a very long time. Actually he really couldn't remember anyone being very interested in it at all. "How do you fly?" Bruce asked around a mouth full of food.

In spite of himself Aré laughed. "It's magic."

"Magic doesn't exist."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Bruce swallowed. "And yes it does. I'm kind of made of it, I guess."

Bruce's head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Here I'll show you." Aré stood and picked up a steak knife then sat back down across from Bruce. He took the knife and used it to cut a small line in his hand. Bruce looked shocked but continued to watch. Putting the knife down he held out his hand for Bruce to see. "See my blood. Anything look out of place to you?"

Bruce studied Aré's hand; "You've got something in your blood. It looks like metal." He said.

"Exactly. Actually it's not really metal but it does look like it. It's what gives me my powers." Aré took a napkin and wiped his hand. Bruce noticed that after all of the blood had been wiped away the wound on Aré's hand looked days old, even though he had only cut it a minute before. "I also heal pretty fast too." Aré said to Bruce's gaze.

"Cool."

Aré laughed. "I'm glad you think so. Now," he picked up his dishes and put them in the sink, "Bruce, in all seriousness you can't tell anyone about me." The boy looked confused. "It's a secret I've had for a long time. No one can know about this, especially now. I'm not normal, as we've already figured out. But I can't take the chance of someone finding out what I am. It wouldn't be safe."

"Okay I promise I won't tell anyone." Bruce said. "So are you going to answer all of my questions or not?"

Aré returned to the table. "All right. Where to start?" He thought for a moment. "Well, I guess I could start with what I am. I'm a Halfling. My mother was human whereas my father is a Fae. A 'mystic' for lack of a better word. I was born in the late fifteen hundreds in a place you've never even heard of. I've been flying since I was about sixteen. I have control over fire, water, ice and metal along with a few other things. I'm immortal and I can't die of illness or, obviously, old age. I won't physically age beyond the point I am at right now. I've been a friend of your family's for centuries. You're entire family has been let in on what I am and it's usually the parents who inform their children about me." He looked down at the table. "Unfortunately yours were never able to tell you. I am sorry about that."

"Me too." Bruce said, looking down at his empty plate. "How did you meet my family?"

"Through a mutual friend." Not entirely a lie but not exactly the truth either. "I've known the Wayne's since their beginning. Um…" Aré went silent, thinking about what to say next.

"Is your magic the reason why your eyes are silver?"

"Yes, it also explains my hair too." He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. Aré's hair then changed to strawberry blonde and when he opened his eyes again they were green. "This is how I would appear if I were mortal." A moment later they were both silver again. "Though it's not my natural form. This comes naturally." He smiled. "Is there anything else you want to know cause I'm kind of clueless about what to say?"

Bruce thought for a moment. "When were you born?"

"June twenty-eighth, fifteen sixty-seven."

"That would make you, like, hundreds of years old!"

"Over four hundred. Four hundred and twelve to be exact."

"Cool. What are your parent's names?"

"My mother's name was Hana and my father's name is Kane."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, I have two sisters and two brothers and I'm the oldest of them all."

"Cool. I kinda wish I had siblings. I think it would be fun."

"It is. It's especially fun to tease them. It's the older sibling's prerogative to tease the younger ones."

The two sat in silence for a long time. Bruce picked up his now empty plate and placed it in the sink along with the other dishes. "I know you said that I can't tell anyone about you and I won't. I just wanna know how come."

"It's not safe, not for me anyway."

"Why?"

_Because I don't want to end up on some scientist's lab table._ "People try to kill me."

"Why!?"

Aré still expected that look of fear to appear any minute but went on anyway. "People have tried to kill me. Not so much now but during the late sixteen hundreds I was running almost every day. I somehow managed to get caught in Salem Massachusetts during their witch trials. Massachusetts wasn't a very good place to live then. I ended up getting tried twice and sentenced to death twice; in two different locations thank the Gods because I never could have explained myself. The first place I was tried, Boston I think it may have been Andover," he shook his head, "but anyway, I was hung. That was interesting trying to fake."

"What do you mean? How do you fake being hung?" Bruce returned to his seat at the table.

"It's kinda hard to hang a guy who can fly, don't you think?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be hard."

"Anyway, I managed to slow my heartbeat down to only a few a minute so they thought I was dead. I skipped town before they could actually burry the coffin they'd put me in. The second time I ended up in Salem, as I'd said before. Those weren't even trials it was like, 'you. Guilty, burn him at the stake.'" Aré rolled his eyes. "That was harder to fake. But since I'm able to control fire I was able to keep myself from getting burned. I used an illusion to make them all think that I was burning. It wasn't fun. Even back then, I never used my magic very much. I wasn't actually judged on the fact of whether or not I could actually perform magic, I was judged more on the fact that I looked different than anything else."

"That's not right."

"No, but it was how things worked back then. It's also, to an extent, how things still work today. People judge others on how they look, not who they are."

"You said there were other things you can do." Bruce said with his childish ability to change the subject. "I wanna see."

Aré stood, actually grateful for the change in subject. "Come on, let's go someplace else first. Then I'll show you." Before leaving he picked up a metal utensil and took it with him. He may have been able to create the other three but he couldn't just will metal to appear. The two went into the living area and Aré told Bruce to sit. "I said that I had control over metal, water, fire and ice."

"And a few other things."

"True, but I'm only going to show you those four."

Aré held out his right hand, the one holding the piece of metal. Bruce thought that he was just going to make it float around. He wasn't surprised, well maybe a little, when the utensil began to float. His eyes widened when the utensil's shape began to warp and form into a long string of metal. Around that, fire began to dance then slowly ice and water joined the mix. All four elements danced only a few inches above Aré hand. Bruce watched as they broke apart and began traveling up Aré's arm and around his body. He watched all of this in awe. As he watched, he noticed that Aré's pupils appeared to be glowing softly. Bruce couldn't take his eyes off of what Aré was doing. A smile lit up his face; that was without a doubt the coolest thing he'd ever seen.

"I'll never grow tired of that."

Aré gasped softly and everything disappeared, the utensil retaking its shape and falling to the floor with a clang. Two pairs of eyes turned to Alfred. Aré turned away and bent down picking up the utensil he had dropped and leaving the room. The other two watched him go. Bruce looked confused. "What just happened?" He asked Alfred.

Alfred sighed. "It is something that he has to deal with on his own." He turned and sent a small smile to the boy. "Just give him some time Master Bruce. He'll come around." With that, Alfred left to return to whatever it was he was doing before.

Bruce sat in the living area for a long time. Things had been going great lately then all of a sudden everything started going down the drain. He'd grown to like Aré over the time that he had spent at the manor. Something must have happened to Aré in the past to make him hide who he was, besides what he had said about what had happened during the late sixteen hundreds. Bruce began to wonder what it was. Standing up from the couch, Bruce went in search of answers.

* * *

Bruce silently made his way upstairs and into Aré's room. He didn't know what he was going to find or even what he was looking for. He closed the door behind him and looked about the room. He wanted to know what it was that was making Aré act the way he was lately. Bruce knew that what had happened the day before had only been a part of it. From what he had pieced together from everything he had heard this was something that had been building up over a long period of time.

He opened the closet door and spotted a box perched on the top shelf of the closet towards the back of the shelf. Looking around, he found the desk chair and pulled it over towards the closet to use as a stool. He stood on the chair and reached up for the box. His fingers grazed the bottom and he had to stand on his toes and stretch to get a better grip on the box. He didn't remember the shelves going in that deep before. Bruce smiled in triumph when the box came off the shelf and into his hands. He jumped off the chair and sat on the floor prepared to examine the boxes contents.

Bruce pulled the lid from the box and looked inside. There wasn't really anything of interest inside. However, there was one thing that caught his eye. He found a sketchpad and carefully pulled it out. He began to flip through the pages, amazed at the drawings held inside. There were many pictures of people drawn on the pages. Two women were repeated over and over along with a child. Bruce couldn't figure out who they were because he couldn't understand the strange markings next to each of them. They looked slightly familiar, almost like Japanese. He'd just have to look them up. Deciding he had spent too much time in there already, he carefully replaced everything as he had found it and quietly left the room.

Along the way he continued to think about the pictures he had seen. They must have been very important to Aré and he wondered just exactly who they were. As he thought about it the thought crossed his mind that maybe Aré had just made them up. He shook that thought away quickly though. No, they had to be important to Aré and Bruce was bound and determined to learn as much about Aré's past as he possibly could.

* * *

As the weeks went by Aré's mood had begun to improve where as Bruce's behavior began to worsen. It was nearing the anniversary of his parent's death and Bruce was acting out much worse than normal. He was beginning to drive both Alfred and Aré crazy. And the fact that Aré always caught Bruce only seemed to make matters worse. The fact that Aré was different was ammunition Bruce used to get back at him. Just like now. "What do you know? Why do you even care? You're not even human! You have no idea how I feel." Bruce yelled.

"Since I know this is all coming from you're grief I'm going to let that slide for now." Aré said, looking down at the seething twelve year old. "However, I don't ever, _ever_, want to catch you doing anything like that again. What could possibly possess you to try and set the summerhouse on fire? You're just lucky I can control fire and kept it from doing any damage. For crying out loud Bruce! You know better than to do that. You're smarter than that I know you are. I know this is a difficult time of the year for you but you can't use that as an excuse for arson."

"You don't know anything." Bruce growled, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from Aré.

"I know more than you think."

"Doubt it." Bruce snorted.

Aré refrained from rolling his eyes. "As a matter of fact I do. I've already lived longer than most of the people I know so, yes, I know what it is like to lose someone."

"You didn't watch your parents get killed."

"No, and I can't say I know exactly what it is you are going through but I can relate."

Bruce uncrossed his arms and his hands balled into fists. "See, you don't know how I feel. And you never will!" With that Bruce turned and ran out of the library. He bumped into Alfred on his way out, nearly knocking him over.

"Oh dear." Alfred said, watching Bruce leave. "I take it that did not go very well." He said to Aré.

Aré shook his head in dismay and sighed. "No it didn't." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get it. It's been four years since his parents died. Now I don't expect for him to ever truly get over it but he's got to accept what happened and move on. Keeping everything bottled up like that isn't healthy."

"No it isn't. But what can we do?" Alfred asked.

"Open the bottle."

* * *

Bruce ran as hard and fast as he could. He didn't have any particular destination in mind. All he wanted was to get away. His vision got blurry and he furiously rubbed at his eyes. He wasn't going to do that, he refused to be that weak. Finally his lungs demanded air and he was forced to stop running. After leaving the library he had run through the house and finally outside. He looked around at the large trees surrounding him. He didn't remember coming out here. Where was he anyway?

Taking deep breaths he sat himself against one of the trees and rested his head against the trunk. Who did Aré think he was anyway? Saying he could relate to what Bruce was feeling? How could anyone? It was his fault anyway, wasn't it? It was his fault his parents were killed. If he hadn't begged to go see that movie they'd still be alive. _It was my fault._ He thought. _I'm the one who got them killed._ He felt the tears that threatened to fall every time he thought of his parents form in his eyes. He absolutely refused to let them fall. He had been too weak to help them and he refused to ever be weak again. He had to be strong and anger made him strong. He had to hold on to that. Crying was for weaklings.

Bruce heard footsteps walking through the woods. Someone was looking for him and he really didn't want to be found. Looking up, he saw the tree he was under was climbable and very high. He stood and quickly and quietly made his way up into the tree. He only hoped that whoever it was looking for him wouldn't look….. Damn it! He saw a flash of silver moving through the woods. _Will he just give up already!?_

Bruce held his breath, trying not to make a sound. Aré was looking down at the ground and stopped just under the tree Bruce was currently sitting in. _What's he doing?_ The older man placed his hands on his hips and looked around. Bruce silently prayed Aré would just go away. All hope was lost when Aré's gaze traveled upward. "Bruce?" Aré called.

Figuring there was no point in hiding anymore Bruce yelled back, "Go away."

"Bruce, will you come down from there? We need to talk."

"No! And I don't want to talk; I've got nothing to talk about."

"Fine then, I'll just have to come up there."

_What?_ "There's nowhere to sit." He said.

"Who said I was going to sit?"

Bruce looked over to find Aré hovering next to him. "I keep forgetting you can do that."

That earned a small twitch at the corner of Aré's mouth. "What's wrong Bruce?"

"I thought you already knew that."

"I mean the real problem. I don't read minds Bruce; I can't help you until you tell me what's wrong."

"My mom and dad are dead, that's what's wrong."

"I think that's only part of it." Aré hovered in a sitting position next to the branch Bruce was currently perched on. "Something else is bothering you."

Bruce tore his gaze away from Aré. No matter how many times he saw that it was still cool. He crossed his arms over his chest indicating he wasn't going to talk about it any further. "I'm not coming down." He said. Aré gave a nod then reached over and pulled Bruce from the branch. "Hey," Bruce protested as he struggled against Aré's grip, "put me down!"

"Do you really want me to do that? It's a long way down."

"I'd survive it!"

"From here?"

_Huh?_ Bruce stopped struggling and looked around. "Where'd the trees go?" He asked dumbly.

"They're down there goober."

Bruce ventured a glance down, gave a yelp and clung tighter to Aré. How did they get so high so fast? "On second thought, don't put me down."

Aré smiled, though Bruce didn't see it. "That's what I thought. Now, since we are most certainly alone up here tell me what's really bothering you." Bruce looked away. "I know this is difficult for you but you can't keep everything bottled up inside anymore. It's not doing you any good."

Bruce looked out over the distance, really seeing just how high they were. He could see for miles at this height. His head came to rest on Aré's shoulder and he stayed like that for a few moments. "It was my fault." He finally whispered before he even realized he was speaking.

"What was your fault?" Aré asked softly.

"Mom and dad. It was my fault."

"No it wasn't."

Bruce began to nod vigorously and his grip on Aré only seemed to get tighter. He squeezed his eyes shut. Stupid tears go away! He hated himself when his voice shook. "I k-killed them. I-it was my fault."

"No Bruce, you didn't any-"

Bruce interrupted him. "Yes it was!" He yelled looking up and his eyes held such pain and guilt there and there were unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "It was! I got them killed! If I didn't beg to go see that movie, if I had only listened and waited to see it later like they wanted they'd still be alive! And then I just stood there as that guy shot my mom and dad. I should have done something! But I didn't do anything; I just stood there like some scared little kid!"

"Bruce I want you to listen to me. No matter what you think right now, it was not your fault. You were only eight years old, of course you were scared. There wasn't anything you could have done. Tell me Bruce, did you know that man was going to be there that night?" Bruce shook his head no. "Did you know he was going to try and rob your parents?" Again, Bruce shook his head no. "Did you know what was going to happen? Were you the one to pull the trigger?"

Bruce's choked answer was, "No."

"You see, it wasn't your fault. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. There was nothing you could have done. You are a child and your parents were only trying to protect you. They gave their lives to protect you. Imagine how sad they would be if you had died with them or if it was only you that had died and not them. Parents are supposed to protect their children, not the other way around. I know it is hard, I know it is painful but do you really think they are happy watching you suffer like this? Blaming yourself for something you did not do? I don't think they'd like that at all."

"But."

"They love you Bruce, and just because they are not here doesn't mean they are gone forever and that certainly doesn't mean that they stop loving you just because they are gone. They love you still and they only want what is best for you. It's okay to be strong, they'd want that but it is also okay to cry. Crying doesn't make one weak, it only shows strength from another angle. And no buts, there is no point in blaming yourself for something you absolutely did not do."

As Bruce looked at Aré, one rebellious tear broke away and slid down his cheek and then another. Bruce buried his face in Aré's shoulder and began to cry out four years worth of pain. Aré held the boy as he cried. This was what he needed and Aré was more than willing to give him a shoulder to cry on. He didn't expect this to happen often but at least it was happening. Aré placed a light kiss on Bruce's forehead and watched as the rest of the tears began to fall.


	8. Eight: Metropolis

**A/N:** Again translations are in between the [ ].

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Metropolis**

**Now**

The Batmobile sped across the sky on the way to the city of Metropolis. Bruce was currently trying to further narrow down Paxton Powers' location. Aré had originally opted out of riding with Terry but in the end had decided that flying there on his own wasn't a good idea. "I'm going to petition for a back seat." Aré complained.

Terry suppressed a smile. They were about half way to Metropolis and during their trip Aré had told him more about Bruce when he was younger. He had a hard time imagining Bruce Wayne as a child. It was strange. "It's hard to picture Bruce as a kid, let alone afraid of anything."

"Well, he was only twelve at the time. It wasn't for another ten-twenty years or so before people started to see more people with extraordinary abilities. It wasn't really until Kal show up actually."

"Kal?"

"Kal-El. You'd know him better as Superman."

"Oh." Terry adjusted their course. "He seemed to accept you pretty quick though." Terry went back to their original conversation. "You said that it was just the next day he seemed fascinated with you."

"Yeah, but even after all that and even after people with abilities became more widely known I didn't go around flaunting what I could do. I still don't. Guess that's what happens after spending four hundred years hiding what you are." There was silence for a moment but Terry could feel Aré moving around. Then, "Alright, pop the canopy and let me out."

"What?"

"Let me out. I'll fly alongside you the rest of the way."

"But could you keep up? Isn't this faster anyway?"

More shifting, "Probably, and yes, I can keep up. And actually I'm more than likely faster than you anyway."

"Well then--"

"Terry, my legs are numb and my ass is falling asleep."

Terry suppressed a smile and slowed the vehicle to the point where he could safely open the canopy.

"Is there a problem?" Bruce asked over the comm., having noticed their deceleration.

"Yeah!" Aré replied, sarcasm evident in his voice. "My entire lower half is numb because you're too cheap to install a back seat."

"I wasn't cheap." Bruce replied. "By the time I built the car I was working solo again."

"So? When you were solo the first time you still had a passenger seat." The canopy retracted and Aré climbed out of the vehicle. He stretched his legs and sighed. "That's better." He was hovering just outside of the Batmobile. He looked back into the vehicle. "You got another communicator?" Terry opened a compartment and pulled out a headset communicator and handed it to Aré. "Thanks." He secured the headset to his ear. He made an after-you gesture. "Shall we?"

The canopy closed and Terry started the vehicle going again. He didn't bring the vehicle completely up to speed. After a few minutes there was a tap on the canopy and he saw Aré make a gesture to go faster. When Terry didn't immediately speed up Aré rolled his eyes and shot forward so fast it made Terry pause. "Whoa."

"Told you I was fast." Aré's voice sounded through the communicator.

Terry felt himself smile then kicked the vehicle into high gear and sped after Aré.

* * *

By the time the two arrived in Metropolis the sun had risen and the people had begun their day. Terry and Aré had stopped outside of the city and Terry had changed into his street clothes and had hidden the Batmobile. They took a taxi the rest of the way into the city. Terry had started to doze on the ride in and Aré briefly wondered just how long the boy had been up. He turned his gaze out of the taxi window and examined the city as they rode past.

So much had changed in the last fifty years and he had missed twenty of those years doing something he swore he would never do. He'd missed so much and he wondered if he'd recognize anyone anymore. Dick and Barbara hadn't been too hard to recognize and he'd had the chance to at least say hi to Tim on his way to Gotham before all of this had started. Bruce had been easy to recognize and he'd even noticed a little similarity between Bruce and the boy sitting next to him. It just had to be coincidence that they had the same eyes, right?

The taxi eventually stopped and he shook Terry's shoulder. "Hey, we're here."

Terry sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh, sorry." He said, though it was slightly slurred since he had just been woken up.

Aré paid the driver and got out. "It's okay. You've been up a lot longer than you probably should have."

"Yeah, I think I'm heading for forty-eight." Terry said, getting out as well.

"Been there, done that bought the T-shirt." Terry chuckled at that. "Come on," he gestured towards the building then headed towards it, "there's someone who lives here that may be able to help us."

The two entered the building and headed towards the elevators and once inside Aré asked for the top floor. It took only a minute or two for the elevator to reach the floor asked for. The two got out and he led Terry down the hallway, looking at each number on the apartment doors. He smiled when he came to the one he was looking for. He knocked on the door and waited for the occupants to answer. The door opened a moment later and the middle-aged man on the other side of the door had a look of complete surprise on his face. "You gonna just stand there looking stupid all day or are you going to let us in?" Aré asked with a smile.

The man blinked and a smile crept onto his face. "Yes, sorry come on in." There was a moment's pause. "It's been years since I've seen you and I…. Wait a minute. We?" He asked opening the door wider to allow Aré entrance.

"Yeah, we." He gestured to Terry. "I brought a friend. And sorry about not being around, I wasn't even allowed to send a letter." Aré's posture took on an angry air for a moment. "Pricks." He shook his head. "Oh wow, sorry. Clark Kent, Terry McGinnis. Terry, Clark."

Terry and Clark looked at each other. "Hi." Terry said.

"Hello." Clark said, he adjusted his glasses and turned back to Aré. "Why do I get the feeling you're here for more than just a social call?"

Aré took a seat on the couch and the smile he sent Clark spoke of conspiracy. "We're looking for a guy named Paxton Powers. I was hoping you could help us."

"And how can I help you?" Clark asked, taking a seat across from Aré. Terry moved to sit next to Aré also.

"Do you still work at the _Planet_?"

"On occasion. I may be able to find something out. Any ideas where he might be?"

"We've tracked him to Metropolis. We just need to narrow down _where_ in Metropolis he is."

"I'll see what I can find out."

"Great." Aré glanced over at Terry. "I think Terry here is about ready for bed."

Terry's eyes opened and slowly focused on the two other men in the room. "Huh?"

"Go back to sleep Terry." Aré said. He looked back at Clark. Terry rubbed his eyes and forced himself to wake up. "B's been keeping the poor kid up. I'm thinking about finding a hotel and resting for a bit. We've been up for quite a while anyway. Your number still the same?" Clark nodded. "Great, hey do you think you could con someone over at the tower to look into narrowing down Powers' location?"

Clark sat up a little straighter and sent Aré a look. Terry, with his mind trying to shut down on him, was trying to keep up. What tower was Aré talking about?

"Look Clark. It's pretty obvious who the kid is right?" At this Terry sat up a bit straighter and was now giving Aré the same look that Clark was. "So what's the point in hiding it? He's going to find out at some point anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Terry asked.

"Maybe I should have introduced you two differently. How's this then? Bats, Sups. Sups, Bats."

Terry was suddenly wide-awake and alert and his eyes just about bugged out of his head. He and Clark exchanged looks again. "Wait a minute. He's…." Terry looked at Aré then to Clark and back again. "S-Superman?"

"Ding, ding, ding. Give the kid a prize." Aré said, clapping. "Yep he is. Hey how's Lois and Jason? Your kid's got to have made you a grandpa by now?"

Clark nodded. "Jason has two kids and Lois died about ten years ago."

Aré's smile vanished and he looked away from Clark. "I'm sorry Clark, I didn't know."

"It's alright." Clark said. "It was a while ago. It's not as painful as it used to be. Besides, I didn't expect you to know. Not with everything else you had to deal with."

"You heard about that?"

"Bruce told me." Aré glared at that remark.

"One of these days I'm gonna kill that man." Aré said.

Clark chuckled. "A lot of people have said that and as of yet not a one of them has succeeded."

A smile tugged at the corner of Aré's lips. "Well if anyone is going to succeed at that it's going to be me." He looked over at the clock and looked at the time. It was still early morning, barely nine o'clock but he had been up for over twenty-four hours and he figured Terry had been up for just about as long as he had and while Aré could endure twenty-four plus hours without sleep he knew that Terry required more sleep than he did. Aré stood, "Clark I appreciate your help. I think we need to go find a hotel so the kid and I can get some sleep."

Clark stood also, "You're more than welcome to stay here."

Aré looked at him for a moment then shook his head. "Thanks for the offer but I'm going to have to decline. Maybe next time we're in town." He turned to Terry, "Come on kid, let's get going."

Terry stood also and forced himself not to yawn. He looked at Clark and shrugged then followed Aré to the door.

The two said their goodbyes but before they were completely out the door Clark caught Aré's arm. "Aré," Clark began.

Aré stiffened and his gaze caught Terry's. "Go on ahead Terry; I'll catch up with you in a minute." Terry stood watching them for a moment and from a gesture from Aré turned and headed downstairs. "Clark I'm fine, really."

"If you ever need to talk…."

"Bruce knew better than to ask."

"That's why _I'm_ asking."

That was the reason Aré had declined Clark's offer to stay. He knew Clark would ask about his time away. "I know." He looked back at Clark. "I'm fine though, really. It was only twenty years of my life. I've got eternity to get over it. Just let it be, please."

Clark let go of Aré's arm. "Still if you ever—"

"I know. Clark it was hell and I'm not ready to talk about it. I spent a year away from everyone to try and sort things out. When I'm ready to talk about it you and Bruce will be the first ones to know." Aré turned away from Clark and headed after Terry. "I'll see you around Kent."

Clark watched him go and closed the door to his apartment after Aré was out of sight. He went over to the phone to call some of his contacts at the _Planet._ If he couldn't help Aré out by talking about his problems then the least he could do was help try to find the man responsible for trying to kill the only real family Aré had left in this world.

* * *

"What was that about?" Terry asked once Aré had entered the lobby of the apartment complex.

"It's complicated." Aré said and the tone of his voice told Terry not to speak any further on the subject. The two left the complex and hailed a taxi to take them to the nearest hotel. Aré pulled out his cell and dialed a number. He waited for the person on the other line to pick up.

_"Hello."_

"Dick, hey it's me. The kid and I are in Metropolis. We're headed to a motel to get some sleep. I asked some old friends to help narrow down the search."

_"Kent?"_

"Yeah and if he can't find anything he's going to call in some of his contacts. All else fails then we'll just have to call in the big guns."

There was silence on the other end for a moment. _"All right. I'll leave here within the hour. I should be able to make it to Metropolis by tonight. Where do you want to meet?"_

"Kent's should be fine. I doubt he'd mind us meeting at his place. The kid and I will see you later. Do me a favor will you? Give Barb a call and let her know what's going on."

_"I can do that. I'll see you tonight."_

"Alright, bye." Aré hung up the phone and put it away. He turned to Terry, "Dick will be here tonight. We can figure out more then."

Terry nodded, "Okay," he yawned halfway through the word earning him a strange look from the man sitting next to him. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Aré said. "I'm tired too."

They arrived at the motel a short time later and rented a room. Once they were in their room Terry went straight over to one of the beds and sprawled out across it and gave a contented sigh. He was asleep within minutes.

Aré shook his head and closed the blinds to make the room a bit darker then, after making sure the door was locked, moved to the other bed and removed his boots and coat and crawled under the covers. He lay staring at the ceiling for a few minutes thinking about everything that had happened recently. He turned his head towards the young man sleeping in the other bed. There was something very familiar about his looks and mannerisms. And those eyes, if Aré didn't know any better he'd say that the kid and Bruce were related, but he knew that wasn't possible. Bruce didn't have any kids. With a sigh Aré rolled over closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

When Terry woke up next the time on the clock read 4:28 pm. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. With a groan Terry fell back against the bed. He hadn't even taken the time to remove his shoes or climb _under_ the covers. He'd slept the whole time on top of everything. Getting up again Terry stood and went looking for the bathroom. After taking care of business he jumped in the shower to help wake him up even more. The hot water felt good and as he was getting dressed a noise from the other room caught his attention.

Leaving the bathroom Terry went looking for the source of the noise. It was coming from the other room and, more specifically, the occupant of the second bed. Aré's breathing was irregular, almost like he had been running and his head was turning from side to side. To Terry it looked like Aré was having a nightmare and a pretty bad one at that.

"Iie." [No.] Aré muttered. "Kare sentou desu." [Give him back.] He tossed some more.

Terry moved over to the bed and shook Aré's shoulder. "Aré. Hey wake up."

Aré pulled himself away from Terry. "Kare ni jibun no suru koto ha deki mase n. Kare sentou desu." [You can't have him. Give him back.] Aré's voice began to rise as he spoke. "Ataeru miibakkumaiburazaa! Naku! Naku!" [Give me back my brother! Naku! Naku!] By then Aré was outright screaming.

"Aré wake up!" Terry yelled grabbing Aré by both shoulders and shaking him. "_Aré!!_"

Aré's eyes snapped open and but they were unfocused and darted around the room before finally settling on Terry. "Terry?" He asked, confused. His breathing began to slow and even out.

When Aré had opened his eyes Terry had to force himself not to jump. He hadn't been imagining things the other night in the cave. Aré's eyes had glowed just like they were glowing now. As Aré's breathing became more regulated the glow to his eyes faded until they were back to normal. "Are you okay?" Terry asked after a moment.

Aré sat up, "Yeah, I'm fine." He said a little shakily.

"That was one hell of a nightmare you were having."

Aré laughed but there was no mirth to it. "You have no idea kid."

He stood and Terry watched him head towards the bathroom. "What's a Naku?"

Aré froze a few steps from the bathroom and slowly turned back towards Terry. "What?"

"Naku. You yelled that a couple of times. I figured it was important."

"Naku is a nickname for my younger brother, Nakumaru."

"What happened?" Terry asked.

"It was just a dream Terry. Nothing to worry about." Aré disappeared into the bathroom.

"Yeah sure, nothing to worry about." Terry muttered to himself. "From the way you were tossing and screaming I'd say it's more than 'nothing.'" He stood up and began to gather their stuff together.

* * *

From the other side of the bathroom door Aré sighed and leaned against the shower wall and let the scalding water wash over him. There was more to the nightmare than he was willing to tell Terry, or anyone for that matter. Sliding down the shower wall and coming to rest in the tub Aré allowed his tears to silently fall.

* * *

Later that night the two once again found themselves within the apartment of Clark Kent. It was at this time that Terry finally met the former Robin/Nightwing, Dick Grayson. "My sources at the _Planet_ weren't able to find anything about Powers' location. I've called the guys at the JL Tower and they're going to look into it for us." Clark said.

"Us?" Aré asked with a raised eyebrow.

There was a small chuckle from Dick. "Yeah, us. I started this and you got him into it so from here on out you're stuck with us."

"Great." Aré leaned further back into the couch. "Just what I need more bodies to watch over." He grumbled.

Dick and Clark exchanged a look. "Hey are you alright?" Dick asked.

"I'm fine." Aré said a little too forcefully. "Just frustrated is all." He stood up and moved towards the open floor to ceiling window. "Bruce hasn't been able to narrow down his search?"

Terry shook his head. "No. And I think the old man's starting to get just as frustrated as you are. I think he was a little irked that you and I weren't out there earlier trying to track down Powers' trail."

Aré snorted. "Figures. He says anything tell him I said bite me."

Terry sighed and shook his head. Ever since Terry had woken Aré from that nightmare he was having Aré had been irritable the rest of the day. He was quick to anger but it was obvious that whatever it was that was bothering him Terry wasn't going to be let in on it. He turned back to Clark and Dick. "Anyway, for all we know the guy may not even be in Metropolis anymore. If we're lucky he will be but," he shrugged, "after Damien was arrested for hiring a hit man to kill Bruce he may have left the city."

"In the message you two found did he ever once say he was in Metropolis?" Dick asked.

Terry shook his head. "No. Bruce just traced the message back to its source and here we are."

Clark nodded. "Then he just may still be in the city. I know what he looks like from the times he was on the vid and from covering his trial for the _Planet_ I'll to a flyby of the city and see if I can't locate him."

"Thanks Mr. Kent."

"Please Terry, call me Clark."

"Right. Clark."

Clark stood and went over to his desk and pulled out a map of the city. "Let's see if we can't find any possible locations for the illusive Mr. Powers."

Aré leaned against the window frame and gazed out at the city. He figured that the other three had everything under control. Besides, his heart just wasn't in it right now anyway. He kept replaying the nightmare over and over in his mind. Resting his head against the frame and closing his eyes, Aré allowed his mind to wander into the past.


	9. Nine: Bloody Past

**A/N: **Translations are in between the [ ].

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Juvenile**

**Then**

"I'm here to post bail for Bruce Wayne."

The bail bondsman looked up from the paperwork in front of him to the blond haired green eyed young man on the other side of the glass. "Wayne you said?"

"Unfortunately."

The bondsman nodded and began to shuffle through his paperwork. "Let's see…. Ah here it is. Wayne. Bail is set for twenty thousand."

The young man sighed deeply and slid a piece of paper under the small opening in the glass. "One certified check for twenty thousand."

The bondsman gave a soft chuckle. "You do this a lot don't you?"

"Every time the kid gets into trouble."

"Can I get your name?"

"Taji Marin."

The bondsman nodded and wrote that down in his book. He leaned back in his chair and called to another officer. "Carl you wanna go get the Wayne kid?" The officer went off to get Bruce and the bondsman turned back to the young man on the other side of the glass. "You can wait over there for him." He pointed to a row of chairs on the other side of the room.

"Thanks." He turned and sat down in one of the chairs to wait.

A few minutes later the uniformed officer led Bruce out and handed him over to the one who had posted his bail.

Bruce locked eyes with the man sitting in the chair then walked straight past him and out of the precinct. The other man stood and exchanged a glance with the officer. "Good luck." The officer said.

"Thanks." He said and went after Bruce. Once outside he practically ran down the stairs after Bruce. "Bruce wait a minute."

Bruce stopped halfway down the steps and glared back at the blond. "Let me guess, Taji this time."

Aré stopped when he was on the same step as Bruce. He'd given up his Fae form for his mortal form a few years earlier. To the world at large Aré Oni had not existed for a number of years and Taji Marin, Aré's 'heir' had come of age a few years earlier and was able to claim his inheritance. According to all the paperwork, 'Taji' was only about five years older than Bruce. "Bruce you know why—"

"Yeah, yeah you don't age and you can't let anyone know what you really are blah, blah, blah." He turned and continued down the stairs and in the opposite direction of the car Alfred was standing by.

"Bruce. Mathew. Wayne."

Bruce froze; he knew that tone of voice and considering all three of his names had been used he knew he was in deep shit. Slowly he turned back to the figure on the steps.

"Get in the car." Aré all but growled.

Bruce knew there was no arguing and reluctantly turned towards the car and got in. Aré climbed in after him and Bruce refused to even look at the other man. "So what now?" Bruce asked, his voice was harsh and clipped.

"Now we go back to the hotel and wait for your hearing. And we're also going to go over what the hell you were thinking when you pulled the stunt you did that got you in this situation in the first place. I don't like having to post bail for you, you know. I'm getting tired of all your bull shit."

"Get used to it."

"I shouldn't have to."

"That's just too bad."

Aré sighed and leaned back in the seat. It seemed all he was ever doing lately was pulling Bruce out of trouble. That's all the teenager had been for the past year and both Alfred and Aré were at a loss for what to do.

They arrived at the hotel a short time later and the three made their way up to their room. Once inside Alfred went and picked up the book he had been reading and continued to read. Bruce looked at the title, 'Troubled Teens and How to Deal With Them' and rolled his eyes. Bruce went into his room in the large suite and closed the door, locking it behind him.

Aré took off his outer coat and sighed deeply when he heard the door close. With a shake of his head his features returned to normal. After getting a drink out of the small fridge in the kitchenette he walked over and sat at the table opposite of Alfred. "Are we missing something?" He asked the other man, taking a sip of his drink.

Alfred placed his book down, "I don't know." He said with a sigh. "I know that something is wrong with him but you know how he is. He isn't the type to tell someone when there is a problem."

"I know. He wasn't all that thrilled when I came to post his bail. I get the feeling he's not a big fan of 'Taji.' Ever since I gave up going out in public like this," Aré gestured to his current features, "it's like he's been avoiding me like the plague."

"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Alfred asked.

"On several occasions," Aré nodded, "but he just blows me off." He took another sip of his drink. "I may be a Halfling but, Gods; I'm not a mind reader."

"Would you like for me to try and talk to him?"

"No, whatever his problem is now it's with me." He gestured to the book Alfred had been reading. "That thing giving you any ideas on how to handle this?"

"A few, but I do not know if they will actually work. Master Bruce is very stubborn."

"Tell me something I don't know." Aré stood from the table and headed off towards Bruce's room. "Might as well get this over with." He knocked on the door a few times and when no answer came he tried the knob. "Bruce, unlock the door." Silence for another moment. "Please." Again there was no answer and no movement could be heard on the other side of the door. With a wave of his hand the lock came undone and Aré opened the door and entered the room. He found Bruce lying on the bed with his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." Bruce said, never taking his gaze away from the ceiling.

"Really? Because I think there is."

"I don't really care what you think."

"Oh is that so?" Aré closed the door behind him and made his way over towards the bed. "Fine, if you're not going to tell me about what's really bothering you then how about we talk about just what it was you were thinking when you assaulted those men."

"They started it." Bruce said, sitting up and glaring at Aré. "I was just defending myself."

"If that's all you were doing then what possessed you to break the one man's arm and give the other man a concussion? Apparently they were the ones who needed defending. If I knew this was how you were going to use everything I taught you I would never have taught you in the first place."

Bruce rolled onto his side away from Aré. "Go away." He groaned. He was beginning to get tired of everyone trying to pry into his problems. They were his problems and he would take care of them any way that he felt like.

"No."

"Why not?" Bruce growled.

"I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what's wrong. I'm getting tired of having to bail you out of trouble at every turn. Is this really what you want to make of your life? Just to be some punk who's constantly in and out of jail?"

"Well if you left then you wouldn't have to deal with it anymore."

"If that's what you really want then I'll leave."

"Good."

Aré threw his hands up in defeat and headed towards the door. He muttered something under his breath in his native tongue and stopped before he opened the door. "Where is all of this coming from?" He asked with a sigh.

"I thought you already knew that."

He turned back to the figure on the bed. "No I don't. Gods Bruce I may be capable of a lot of things but mind reading isn't one of my powers. I haven't a clue what's going on in that thick, stubborn skull of yours. Not unless you tell me."

"You're going to leave sooner or later. You've already changed your name and the way you look. You've started a whole new life."

"It's only to the people outside of you and Alfred that I'm Taji Marin. Other than that nothing's changed. What made you think I was leaving anyway?"

"Everyone else has it's only a matter of time before you do too."

There was silence for a long while as Bruce's words finally made things come together for Aré. Now everything started to make sense. It's easier to push someone away who's going to leave you anyway than have to deal with the pain that would come when they did leave. "You really think everyone is just going to up and leave you?" Bruce shrugged and remained silent. Aré was getting sick of Bruce's attitude. He moved back over to the bed and grabbed a hold of the boy's shirt and pulled him into a sitting position. "All right listen up and listen good because I'm only going to tell you this once. After which it will never be spoken of again, is that clear?" Bruce nodded mutely. Aré sat down on the bed next to Bruce. "I know how it feels to have people continually leaving you."

Bruce snorted, "Sure you do," he muttered.

"As a matter of fact I do. I'm immortal remember? Just how many times do you think I've had people leave me, how many times _I've_ been left behind?"

"I never thought of that." Bruce admitted after a moment.

Aré started to say something but stopped and sighed deeply. "The island I was born on is called Gaia," He started after a long silence, "and it is hidden by magic. You can't get there unless you already know where it is or have the power to take yourself there. No one sees it and ships just sail straight through it. The island is not on any known maps and I doubt it ever will be.

"My mother and father had planned on marriage but they were forbidden in their union. My father was told by the Fae High Council that because of the result of a different kind of union," the implications of that statement were pretty obvious to the fifteen year old, "their result would have to be destroyed."

Bruce's head spun towards Aré. "They were going to kill you?" Bruce asked incredulously. "Just for being born?"

Aré nodded, "Yes but my parents made a deal with the Council that if they would spare my life they would not marry and would not have any more children together. The Council wasn't originally going to agree but they were told by someone much higher up to let me live."

"Who?"

"A Goddess by the name of Suzaku. I was marked by the Gods to protect me. But that's a story for another time. Each of my parents had two children other than me. When I was thirteen my mother gave birth to my sister Mari and a year later my brother Marcus was born. My mother died shortly after Marcus was born and afterwards we were raised by her husband, Garrett.

"Considering the mixture of blood in my veins, as a child I was teased a lot by some of the other children and there were many times I…. I was beaten a lot as a child. I learned to fight to protect myself and we eventually moved to a different part of the island that was more accepting of what I was.

"When Mari was six she became sick and according to the healers there was nothing that could be done for her. They told us to just accept that fact she was going to die of her illness. I couldn't accept that and I didn't. I was immune to the disease and I don't know how I thought of it or even what possessed me to try but I gave Mari some of my blood. She began to get better almost instantly and she recovered fully in only a few days. She was never sick again after that.

"Mari had three children; her youngest was a girl by the name of Natsume. I didn't like to play favorites with any of my nieces and nephews but Natsume held a special place in my heart." Aré's eyes took on a faraway look. "She was such an outgoing little girl. Such an active imagination and she was always asking me to show her my magic. Even though I was her uncle she always called me 'Niichan.'"

"Niichan?"

"Roughly translated it means 'big brother.' There was one man in our village, Akkan, who was constantly causing trouble for us. He didn't like what I was and always made a point of letting us know that. It was pretty obvious to everyone in the village that I wasn't mortal and by the time Mari had her first child I had already stopped aging. By the time Natsume was twelve I was nearly fifty years old but I looked barely older than Mari's oldest who was only sixteen at the time."

Aré's gaze moved to the floor and he began to pick at his fingernails. "One night during one of our annual festivals Natsume went missing. The whole village went out looking for her and we spent the whole night looking for her. I finally found her around sunrise. Her dress was ripped in several places and there was blood everywhere. I never knew that so much blood could come from someone so small. She was still alive when I found her but just barely. She had been beaten severely and there were small cuts all over her body. I could tell that she had fought back but whoever had attacked her had finally overpowered her.

"I was alone when I found her and I didn't have any idea of what to do. I picked her up and held her close. I could feel her life slipping away and there was nothing I could do. She woke up shortly after I picked her up and she was so happy to see me. I tried to tell her everything would be all right but I knew it wasn't going to be. The last thing she said to me was 'aishi teru niichan.' [I love you big brother.] Natsume died within minutes of me finding her.

"I don't know how long I sat there but I eventually carried her body back to the village. Mari was crushed; I can still hear her screaming. The members of our village were outraged. They wanted to know who would kill an innocent child. It didn't take us long to figure out who had killed Natsume. It had been Akkan; he started to brag about it right after I brought Natsume's body back. He told us her death was my fault. That monsters like me were not allowed to be happy. He killed Natsume simply because I was different. Even now I don't know exactly what happened but one minute he was in front of me bragging about what he had done and the next….. The next he was laying dead on the other side of the village square.

"The people of the village were just as shocked as I was at what had happened. They were all staring at me, some were amazed and in others I could see fear. I could feel my magic, hell I could see it, radiating off of me. As I said, I don't know exactly what happened but somehow I killed Akkan with my magic. No one said anything for a long time. They were all afraid of what might have happened if they did. Even I was afraid."

"What did you do?" Bruce asked silently.

"I ran, as far and as fast as my legs would carry me. Eventually my body gave out and I ended up at one of the rivers that ran through the island. You see, each Fae is given a mark somewhere on their body that symbolizes their magic. They usually receive their mark at an early age, after they are finished training to help control their magic. I never used my magic all that often and, even though I knew how to control my powers I had not received my mark. On that day though, I did. I was terrified the first time I saw it. I thought that everything people had said about me when I was younger was right. That I really was the monster I was said to be. I decided to change my name from Enzeru to Oni that day based on the symbol that had appeared on me."

"Where is your mark?"

Aré tapped his forehead. "Mine is here on my forehead, but I rarely ever show it. We moved from the island only days later. We knew Mari's husband was not a native of the island and so we went to his home country, England."

"I thought you said your island couldn't be found unless you already knew where it was."

"That's true but he washed ashore one day. The merchant ship he was on had been attacked by pirates and all of the crew thrown overboard. He landed on our shore, almost like fate wanted him to. Now where was, oh yeah, we moved to England and we kind of spread out from there. It's been many, many years since all of that happened. Everyone I had ever known, all of my family from then is now gone. So you see Bruce, I too know how it feels to be left behind."

The two were silent for a long time afterwards as Bruce thought about everything Aré had just told him. Though Bruce had asked Aré about his past many times this was the first time Aré had given him so much information so freely. No wonder the man always had a sad look to his eyes. Even when he smiled, it was not very often Aré's smile reached his eyes. "How do you do it?" Bruce asked after the long silence, turning his head to look at Aré. "How do you move on after something like that?" What he saw surprised him, though Aré's head was down and his hair mostly hid his eyes Bruce was able to make out the small trails that tears had made down his cheeks.

"You don't, not really anyway." Aré said. "But you learn to take everything one day at a time. You learn to take the good with the bad." He turned his gaze away from his hands and shifted it up towards Bruce. "You can't let your grief and your anger rule you. I did once, right after Natsume was killed. I blamed myself for the longest time and I distanced myself from my family for years." One of his hands came up and he ran his fingers over the emerald that hung on his neck. "I originally gave this to my mother but after she died it went to Mari. I went to visit Mari right before she died and she wanted me to have it. Do you know what she told me then after she placed it back in my hand? She said to me, 'Aré though you may be immortal and you may outlive us all remember that just because we no longer inhabit the realm of the living does not mean we are truly gone. You will never truly be alone, no matter how long you live and we will always be here.'" His fingers traveled from the emerald and came to rest over his heart, "'And so long as we are here we will live forever.'"

The silence that followed was, surprisingly, a comfortable one. Bruce used the silence and took the time to think about what Aré had said to him. Though it wasn't only what Aré had just said to him but also everything Aré had told him since they had met five years earlier. Bruce hadn't realized that, although he didn't always listen to everything Aré and Alfred told him and there were times he completely disregarded the things they said, there was always a point behind the things they told him.

"I guess I owe you an apology." Bruce said after a while.

"For what?" Aré asked.

"Everything," Bruce said, "I mean, I haven't exactly been the easiest person to put up with."

"If you're going to apologize to anyone for putting up with you it should be Alfred."

Bruce laughed at that. "Yeah, probably."

"So we're good now right?"

Bruce nodded. "I think so. I am sorry for being such a pain in your ass lately."

"Language." Aré reprimanded and gave a small nod to acknowledge he had accepted the apology. "I will be leaving at some point but not anytime soon. You've still got about three years until you're eighteen so you're still stuck with me until then. I'll at least move out sometime after that but that doesn't mean you'll never hear from me again. I do plan on keeping in tough. I've got some things I want to do. I want to make something of this lifetime."

"What do you plan to do?"

"I was thinking about maybe becoming an artist."

"You could do it. You're good."

"And how do you know that?"

Bruce turned his gaze away and picked at a piece of string on the comforter. "Uh… I kind of found your sketchbook."

Something flashed across Aré's face but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. "Really? I didn't know that." He stood and moved from the bed. He wondered exactly _when_ Bruce had _accidently found_ one of his sketchbooks. With his back to the boy he let out a long yet silent sigh. It really shouldn't have surprised him that Bruce had found his books. So long as he didn't ask about the pictures they contained just yet he'd be fine. At least Aré had had the sense to keep his older works out of the mansion. Bruce's voice broke Aré from his silent musings.

"I probably shouldn't ask this and after everything I probably don't deserve it but," Aré turned back to Bruce who had a lopsided grin on his face, "about those jujitsu lessons…."

* * *

As the weeks went by after their eventful trip to New York City Bruce, Alfred and Aré found themselves not back home in Gotham City but on the other side of the world. When Aré had been in Japan a few decades back he had taken lessons in jujitsu. Well, not taken lessons so much as refreshing his memory. One of his fellow students happened to now run the dojo he had trained in back then and while Aré had been giving Bruce lessons he couldn't officially give Bruce the tests required to achieve new belts. That was the reason that they were in Japan now, so Bruce could take the official tests and also learn from a source outside of Aré.

Sensei Yoru came highly recommended and thankfully spoke fluent English. Aré had been giving Bruce Japanese lessons but the young man had yet to fully pick up the language. In the beginning Aré played translator between Bruce and the teacher. Bruce had wondered at first whether or not it was a good idea for Aré to go to the dojo and risk being recognized by Yoru but Aré had reminded him about his ability to glamour and that it wouldn't be a problem.

When Bruce started his training at the dojo it was obvious he had been getting lessons from an outside party and after taking all of the required tests Bruce had nearly completed enough training to earn him a black belt. There were still things Yoru had to teach Bruce before the boy could claim the black belt as his own and so that was the class Bruce was placed in. And after a few months at the dojo Bruce took the test and passed earning him his first degree black belt.

Bruce stayed even after earning his black belt and continued to train for a time. There was one student who was always a problem for Bruce and who consistently called Bruce a 'pretty boy' due to the money Bruce had. This other student, Kyodai Ken, did not believe Bruce Wayne had the right to learn jujitsu and that he was in every way better than the billionaire.

One night after Bruce had lost a match to Kyodai he found the other student attempting to steal a priceless katana from the dojo. Kyodai had been cast out of the dojo, swearing eventual revenge against the boy billionaire.

* * *

"I think I'm going to go leave the dojo soon," Bruce said as the three of them sat at dinner a few nights later.

Alfred and Aré looked up from their meals. "Really Master Bruce?"

"Why?" Aré asked. "I thought you were enjoying your lessons."

"I am." Bruce said. "It's just that I think it's time I moved onto other things. There's so much out there I can learn and I won't be able to learn it if I continue to stay in one place."

Aré nodded and put his fork down. "Okay, so where do you want to go now?"

"I think this is something I have to do alone."

"You do realize you're only fifteen and as such you're only going to be able to get so far at your age."

"I'll think of something."

Aré rolled his eyes, "And when do you plan on starting on your little adventure?"

Bruce shrugged. "I don't know exactly. Soon though I think."

"Well whatever you plan on doing Master Bruce you will not be going anywhere on your own." Alfred said. "You are too young to be out on your own."

Bruce poked at his food with his fork for a moment then went back to his meal. The tone of Alfred's voice had told him the subject was to be dropped and not considered further. In order to avoid a headache Bruce let the subject slide for now. He glanced briefly at Aré who just shrugged and continued eating. When he was finished he placed his dishes in the sink and went into his room.

Bruce stood in his room looking out of the window of his high-rise apartment for a long while thinking about what he was going to do next. He moved over to the closet and pulled out his duffle bag and began to pack some clothes and other essentials. When he was satisfied with what he had he placed the bag under his bed for the time being then went back out into the living area. "Where's Aré?" He asked seeing that Alfred was the only other person in the apartment.

Alfred looked up from his book. "He left to go meet up with a friend. He should be back later tonight."

"Oh." Bruce moved to the couch and picked up the remote and began to flip through the channels. He was inwardly cheering his good fortune. Aré had met a young woman shortly after they had gotten to Japan and had been seeing the young woman ever since. Bruce made a point of teasing him about his _girlfriend_. Though Alfred had said Aré would be back later that night Bruce knew better than that. It was more likely Aré wouldn't return to the apartment until sometime the next morning.

With nothing being on TV Bruce shut off the unit and headed back to his room. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight "

Alfred looked up from his book. "Goodnight Master Bruce."

Bruce closed the door to his room and went though the routine of going to bed. After crawling into bed he shut off the light and with a long sigh, went to sleep.

* * *

Bruce woke at around midnight and silently crawled out of bed and got dressed once again. He pulled his duffle out from under his bed and slung the bag over his shoulder. Being as silent as he possibly could be he made his way out of his room and though the apartment and to the door. He placed the bag on the floor and went into the kitchen and pulled out a pen and notepad from one of the draws and quickly wrote a note to Aré and Alfred. When he was done with that he left the note on the kitchen table then pulled on his shoes and picked up his bag once again and silently made his way out of the apartment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The phone ringing in the early morning woke the young brown-eyed brunette. She reached over and pulled the receiver from the bedside table. "Moshi-moshi." [Hello.] She answered groggily.

"_I apologize for phoning so early Miss Hitomi but I'm looking for Master Taji. It is an emergency."_

The young woman wasn't really able to understand the voice on the other end but she was able to understand her name and Taji's. "Ah, chotto matte." [Ah, just a moment.] She rolled over and shook the shoulder of the other figure in the bed. "Taji, denwa bangou desu. Sore ha anata no Amerika jin no tomodachi desu." [Taji, phone. It's your American friend.]

Aré groaned and took the receiver from her and put it to his ear. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He complained into the phone.

"_I am sorry to bother you so early Master Aré but it is an emergency. Master Bruce is missing._"

Aré's eyes snapped open and he half sat up on the bed. "_What!?_" He yelled. Hitomi jumped when he yelled and she turned to him and watched the emotions flash across her lovers face. The first of which was shock and surprise but those were followed closely by fear and, suddenly, rage. "That stupid sneaky little _chikushome!_ [son of a bitch!] I'm going to kill him." Aré took a few deep calming breaths. He then sighed and pulling his knees up he leaned against them and rested his forehead against the palm of his hand. "I'll be there as soon as I can Alfred."

"_He left a note but it does not say where he is going._"

"I wouldn't expect it too. Just hold on for a few, I'm on my way." He handed the phone back to Hitomi who hung it up. "Sumimasen Hitomi de mo mou ika nai to. Kinou no yoru, kodomo to watashi ha nige ta desu ga, ika naku te ha iku ka dou ka o tsuiseki suru koto ha deki mase n watashi kare daun shi masu." [I'm sorry Hitomi but I have to go. The kid ran away last night and I've got to go see if I can't track him down.]

"Bruce?" She asked.

Aré nodded. "Fuun ni mo." [Unfortunately.] He pulled the sheet away from him and stood and, gathering his clothes, began to get dressed. Once he was dressed he leaned back over and gave her a kiss. "Hitomi ni modotte ne te i masu. Nochi de ne." [Go back to sleep Hitomi. I'll see you later.]

Hitomi returned the kiss. "Ōkē, aishi teru Taji desu. Bruce kouun o mitsukeru." [Okay, I love you Taji. Good luck finding Bruce.]

He rolled his eyes and stood back up. "To kansha o amarini mo, watashi ha kimi o hitsuyou to shi masu." [You too and thanks, I'm going to need it.] This produced a light chuckle from Hitomi. "Ni modotte ne te i masu." [Go back to sleep.] With that Aré turned and left the room and headed out of the apartment and headed back to the apartment shared by himself, Alfred and, up until a little while ago, Bruce.

When Aré got back to his apartment he was met by Alfred at the door. Aré had seen Alfred worried before but the look that was on Alfred's face stopped Aré in his tracks. "He can't have gotten far." Aré said trying to alleviate is friend's nerves.

"I don't even know when he snuck out. I should have been more careful, chained his door shut." Alfred sighed.

Aré laughed at the last part of his statement. "It wouldn't matter how many locks you put on that boys door he'd find a way to get out. I never should have taught him those things." He took Alfred by the arm and led him to one of the kitchen chairs. "Sit." He said while gently pushing Alfred into the chair. "We'll find him one way or another. I knew I should have stayed here last night. But what's done is done." Aré left the kitchen and went into his bedroom and grabbed a couple items from out of his closet. He came back into the kitchen with a map of Japan and a crystal that hung at the end of a long chain. He spread the map out and began to spin the crystal over the map. "It has to have been only a few hours since he left so he has to still be somewhere in the country. He let the crystal swing over the map for a minute or two and finally the crystal suddenly drew down on the map to land on a city not too far from Tokyo. It looked like the boy had made it at least to the outskirts of Kyoto.

"What do you plan to do now?" Alfred asked.

Aré looked up and out of one of the living room windows. It was still relatively dark outside. "Bruce wants to do this on his own. I'm going to let him think he's gotten away with it."

Alfred looked a bit confused by this. "How do you mean."

"Kid can't hide from me forever. He only thinks we won't know where he is." Picking up the map and the crystal Aré went back into his room. While there he also changed his loose fitting shirt for something a little tighter.

"You are going after him." Alfred said when Aré emerged from his room.

"Yes and I'll only drag him back here if I have too." Making sure the lights were off so as not to be seen Aré moved to one of the living room windows and opened it. He turned back to Alfred, "I'll give you a call after I find him."

Alfred nodded and watched as Aré moved out of the window then seemingly vanished into thin air. "Good luck." He said to the now departed figure.

* * *

The sun had begun to make its presence known to the world as it slowly moved up the horizon. Bruce pulled his duffle further onto his shoulder as he waited for his next bus to arrive. He had left the apartment nearly six hours earlier. He was surprised he had made it this far already. To be honest he really hadn't expected to make it out of the apartment. He'd expected Aré to show up at just the right moment to catch him.

Bruce stretched his neck from side to side. The way he had sat for the nap he had taken on the last bus had left him with a nasty cramp in his neck. He glanced at his watch, just another fifteen minutes or so until his next bus arrived. He really needed sleep and while he had napped on the bus and had slept those few hours before sneaking out of the apartment it had not been a restful sleep. He'd have given just about anything to enjoy his bed at the mansion for a few hours. Shaking his head in an attempt to wake up Bruce noticed a soda machine on the other side of the bus station. He went over and put a few coins into the machine and selected the most caffeinated beverage he could find listed. He opened the soda and drank gratefully. Fingering the extra change in his hand Bruce put more coins in and got himself another drink for good measure.

He spotted payphones on the other side of the street and after a moment of thought he crossed the street to them. He fished though his pockets for more coins. It wasn't until he heard the voice on the other end that he realized what he was doing. "_Hello. Hello? Master Bruce is that you?_"

Bruce opened his mouth to speak and at first didn't know what to say. Alfred calling his name once again pulled him back to reality. "Yeah." He said into the receiver. "You don't need to worry about me Alfred. I'm alright. This is something I have to do on my own now. I'll call you, don't know when exactly but I'll call just to let you know I'm alright." A voice came over the loudspeaker announcing that another bus had arrived and as he listened he found that it was his bus. "Look I've gotta go. Talk to you later."

"_Bruce! Bruce!_

Bruce hung up the phone sharply and, after making sure he had everything, returned across the street and boarded his bus. Bruce found his seat and sat with a relieved sigh. He rested his head against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. He felt himself relax even more once the bus began to move.

If Bruce had taken the time to look over the payphones or down the alley behind them he would have seen the young man with silver eyes watching his every move.


	10. Ten: Nakumaru

**A/N: **There is much influence from Batman Begins and the next chapter has scenes straight out from Begins. I don't own Batman Begins, never have and never will.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Nakumaru**

**Now**

"Hello Aré. Aré. Earth to Aré. _Hello_."

Silver eyes blinked and focused on the hand waving in front of his face before turning to the owner of the hand. "Huh?" Aré asked dumbly.

Dick pulled his hand back and gave the other man a strange look. "Where were you just now?"

"Sorry I guess I just zoned out." He turned away from the window and his eyes cast about the room. "Where's Clark?"

"He left about twenty minutes ago with the kid." It was then Aré noticed Terry was missing too. "What were you thinking about? I haven't known you to lose touch with reality like that too often. What gives?"

Aré moved away from the window. "It's nothing. For some reason I got to thinking about the time Bruce ran away when he was fifteen."

"Which time?" Dick asked.

Aré gave a soft chuckle. "Good point." He moved from the window and towards the couch, Dick followed him.

"Look whatever's bugging you, you know you can—"

"Dick, don't push it." Aré said cutting him off. "You're the second person to ask and I already told Clark to drop the subject. When I'm ready to talk I will but don't expect that to be anytime soon."

Dick nodded. "Alright." He followed Aré back towards the couch. "These are the areas we figure Powers will most likely be hiding." Dick pointed to several points that had been marked on the map. "Clark and the kid are doing a sweep of the city and they'll call if they find anything."

Aré nodded and sat down and propped his feet up on the table. "So let me guess, we're stuck with the wonderful task of waiting."

Dick sat across from Aré and a smile slowly crept across his face. "Not exactly…."

* * *

Batman followed Superman as the two of them searched the city for any signs of Paxton Powers. So far nothing had turned up but they weren't planning on giving up any time soon. Batman had had many things on his mind since before they had even come to Metropolis. Many of them circled around Aré and exactly what his relationship to Bruce Wayne really was. He suspected that there was more to it than Aré simply having been an authority figure while Bruce had been growing up. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Batman asked Superman.

"Sure." Superman said. "What's your question?"

"How long have you known Aré?"

"Not as long as Bruce has." Superman replied. "The first time I met him I was doing an interview for a paper in Smallville and he was introduced as Taji Marin."

"Taji Marin? I know that name. Comic book guy right, died about twenty years ago? They still sell his books…Wait a minute, _he's_ Taji Marin?"

Superman chuckled. "Yeah, as I said, when I first met him he was just starting to get recognized for his work. He became rich overnight when his most popular book series came out. Though, after I really got to know him I learned he was already rich. Money hasn't ever meant very much to him. It's just another part of life for him. Anyway, when I first met him he was supposedly twenty-five. And he didn't look the way he does now. When I met him he had blonde hair and green eyes."

"He mentioned something about that being his 'mortal form.' He really doesn't age does he?"

"No, he still looks the same as he did when I first met him, apart from the hair and eyes of course. His age isn't frozen though, not the way you would think."

"Frozen?"

"What I mean is, some things do change. While he will forever look about twenty years old he does require a hair cut from time to time."

"Oh."

"Was there anything else you wanted to know?"

Batman thought about it for a moment. "Well, besides asking you how well you know him I was wondering how he learned who you were. I know Bruce trusts him and so does Barbara and I guess Dick does too. I don't know, there's just something about him that feels weird. I guess I'm just not used to all of this yet."

Superman laughed now. "I know what you mean. After I learned what he was and what he could do I felt the same way. Especially knowing I can be hurt by magic. I guess he's one of the few people born on Earth who could kill me if he really wanted to."

"Whoa, that powerful?"

"You have no idea kid." Superman led the way to Hobbs Bay. He stopped and while hovering over the bay used his X-ray vision to scan the area for Powers. "The way he figured it out is kind of funny actually. Bruce figured it out a few weeks before Aré did but he never told him. Because of the aura that surrounds my body I don't actually leave fingerprints. Somehow Aré managed to lift the fingerprints I should have left behind after touching one of the tables in the cave."

"How did he do that if you don't leave fingerprints behind?"

"Magic."

"I should have seen that coming."

"He ran the prints and my name came up. Bruce told me that Aré just laughed once he had found out. Aré had known that Bruce was hiding something when it came to me." Superman laughed and continued searching the bay. "Right after I found out Aré knew who I was Bruce and I were working a joint investigation and we had just gotten a new lead. When we left to go check it out Aré said to us, 'Now you two love birds go have fun and I want you to have him home by ten.' Bruce and I both turned white and took a few steps away from each other. Aré was just joking but the way he said it, and with a straight face no less, we both thought he meant it."

"That's creepy."

"I know. And good lord once he met Flash. Those two went out of their way to annoy us. They always played pranks on us. Aré has this uncanny ability to get us all to act out of character." Something caught his attention, "I think I have something. That yacht looks promising."

"Lead the way." Batman said, following Superman down to the docks. They came to a large white yacht. It didn't appear as if anyone was on the boat but Batman knew that if Superman had seen someone inside then they must be there, X-ray vision and all. They moved silently towards the boat. Once on the yacht they crept below deck and moved towards where voices could be heard coming from. Batman easily recognized Paxton Powers but the voice of the other male was one he didn't recognize.

"Do you have any idea how badly you have screwed up?" Demanded the unknown male. "You idiot, the assassin you hired was never going to go through with the killing in the first place."

"I was not the one who hired him. That was Damien's fault." Paxton argued.

"And he will be punished for his failure. However, you were the one to tell me Damien would be able to hire someone qualified to do the job."

"And this guy was qualified. How were we supposed to know—"

"You should have run the assassin by me first. You should have checked the man out." Unknown growled. "You have absolutely _no_ idea just how much is riding on this."

"Like what?" Powers asked. "While our reasons are different we both want Wayne dead. What difference does it make if we both get what we want?"

"Bruce Wayne is just a pawn. He is the means to an end. I am after someone much more dangerous than a decrepit old billionaire."

Unknown turned more towards Powers and Batman quickly switched on his camouflage and was able to get a better look at the other man's face. He was young, looking only about Terry's age. His eyes were an unnaturally bright blue and his hair was a very light brown, almost on the edge of being blonde. It hung down past his shoulders and was currently tied back into a low ponytail. He stood just under six feet, that much Batman could tell. Batman didn't recognize the style of dress the man had though he did recognize each article of clothing. His pants were black and tight fitting and they appeared to be made of leather. He wore calf-high black boots and his white poets shirt hung loosely on his lean frame. There was something about him that Batman couldn't peg. Was there a reason that he looked familiar?

"We need to leave." Superman said very softly.

Batman turned to him, "Why? Powers is right there. We can take him in now." Why did Superman look surprised?

"What's going on Terry?" Bruce asked over the comm.

"We found Powers but Superman wants us to leave." Batman said.

"Bruce, we need to go back. Talk to the others first." Superman said, knowing Bruce would hear him.

"Turn on your vid-link." Bruce said to Batman, which he did. He turned his gaze so Bruce could see the two in the other room. There was silence for a moment then, "He's right, leave."

"What?" Batman asked, incredulous. "We can take them."

"No, you can't. Get out of there. _Now!_" Bruce growled.

"But…."

"Please Terry; don't argue with me on this."

Batman glanced once more into the room then turned and followed Superman out of the yacht. They left the docks and returned to Clark's apartment. As soon as they were inside the apartment Batman pulled his cowl off. "What the hell was that about?" Terry demanded.

Dick and Aré had looked up from what they were doing when the other two had returned. "What's going on?" Dick asked.

"Ask him and Wayne." Terry said, "We found Powers and we could have taken him but those two had the bright idea of getting out of there without him."

"Why?"

"Powers was working with someone else. Someone much more powerful." Clark turned his gaze in Aré's direction. "Someone I was sure you would want to know about. You need to tell us everything that happened while you were gone."

Aré's eyes went wide and he was up and across the room before anyone realized it. He grabbed Clark by the front of his outfit. "Who was it?" He demanded. "Was it Sora?" Color drained from his face. "Naku?"

"Yes." Clark said, "It was your brother."

"Say what?" Terry and Dick asked at the same time.

Aré let go of Clark and took a few steps back, stunned. He bumped into the back of the couch and they watched as a series of emotions played out across his face. "It makes no sense. They were…" He swallowed hard. "Kane still hasn't been found. We searched for twenty years but there hasn't been any sign of him. Naku would never purposely hurt our father. There's got to be more to it." He sighed and looked back up at Clark. "I tried to find him. I tried to help him but I haven't actually seen my brother in over twenty years. I don't know what happened to my father. I did everything they asked of me and more." His eyes hardened and he shook with barely controlled rage. "But it wasn't enough. It was never enough for the Council. It didn't matter that I was their King. I was never good enough, nothing more than Kane's halfling bastard son." He took deep breaths. Aré couldn't afford to have his emotions become out of control. He was barely restraining his powers as it was. "I… I tried everything I could think of to find them and set things right. I put up with the constant ridicule for as long as I could. I gave the throne to Izumi then left without even looking back."

"Izumi's your sister right?" Dick asked. Aré nodded.

"They talked about the botched attempt to kill Mr. Wayne. The other guy said Bruce was just a means to an end." Terry said. He looked at all three of them, finally coming to rest on Aré. "What is going on?"

"Get Bruce on the phone, I'm only going to say this once." Aré said, he seemed almost defeated.

Dick grabbed the phone and dialed Bruce's number and put it on speakerphone. Bruce had been expecting their call. "He hasn't changed much." Bruce said.

"Of course he hasn't," Aré said, "You know our bodies don't change like yours do. We both stopped aging centuries ago." Aré stepped away from the couch and moved closer to the phone. "In Kane's absence I was appointed as the Fae ruler. It was apparent to everyone that we all expected for Kane to be found and that my rule was only going to be temporary. The High Council members always made a point of reminding me of that and of the fact I am what I am every day. At least, the ones that didn't like me did anyway. There are a few members of the Council that actually did like me. That's not the point though.

"Naku and his mother had gone missing around the same time Kane did. Izumi didn't know what to do with herself. She had been called back home too. Izumi lived among mortals, something her mother did not agree with whatsoever.

"Anyway, while I was King it was mostly in name only. I spent most of my time searching for the others. There were a few leads now and again but everything always went into a dead end. I suggested to the High Council that outside help be attained. They said absolutely not. No mortal would be allowed to help in the search in anyway. That no contact with the mortal realm be had. That's why I wasn't able to contact you. I may have been King but there were some members of the Council even I wouldn't cross. I didn't fear actions taken against me, just anyone outside I may have had contact with."

"There more you are not telling us." Bruce said.

"I really don't want to get into the gory details Bruce. Yes, I've edited my story but more for my sanity than anything else. I, yes, I did find Naku once. I was so close to getting him back but I was too late. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is? To have something within your reach only to have it taken away at the last minute? I was so close."

There was silence in the room for a long time then, "how close?"

Aré laughed but he was anything but happy. "How close you ask? I could have reached out and grabbed him, that's how close. Problem is it didn't work. I thought I had the right one this time."

Bruce was the only other one who had any idea what Aré was talking about. Clark and Dick both knew that Aré had been searching for his younger brother for a long time but neither of them had the full story behind it. They all knew better than to ask. "So where does this leave us?"

"With a whole lot more problems."

"Would your brother tell Powers what he is?" Terry asked.

Aré shrugged. "Honestly Terry, I don't know. Maybe, if for nothing more than to instill fear in Paxton."

"Your brother is after you, isn't he? He said Bruce was just a pawn. I'm guessing he planned on killing Bruce just to get to you. What would be the point of that?"

Aré rubbed his face then ran a hand through his hair. "Sit down Terry, there's something you need to know."

* * *

Nakumaru left Paxton Powers before he killed the man. Paxton was unfortunately an important piece of his plan and it wouldn't do if he killed him before he had served his purpose. He left the yacht and headed for another part of the city. When he arrived at his destination he entered the lavish apartment and went straight to its only occupant. "You're lucky your boy still has a purpose." Naku said.

Derek Powers turned around to face Nakumaru. "He failed I take it."

"Spectacularly." Naku said, "You are lucky I didn't kill him. Because of his failure we have to completely recreate our plan to kill Bruce Wayne."

"My son has always been a failure. That shouldn't be much of a shock to you."

"What do you plan on doing about it?"

"Me? You expect me to rectify the situation?"

"Of course," Naku said, "You were the one to tell me that he would have all of the contacts I would need. His failure is your failure."

Derek Powers didn't like the sound of that. "I am _not_ going to clean up his mess."

Naku's eyes narrowed and with a wave of his hand Derek Powers was sent flying across the room. He landed against a table, breaking it on impact. Naku stalked over towards him. "You forget, I rescued you from that submarine explosion. I am the one who brought your condition under control. All I have to do is release the magic that contains it and you will light up like a roman candle. You don't really want the authorities, or Batman, to know you survived do you?"

Powers glared, "No," he conceded.

"Good. Your son does not know that you still live. Perhaps it is time you reminded him exactly how to get things done." With that, he turned away from Powers and left the room.


	11. Eleven: Getting Started

**A/N:** As stated last chapter, this chapter is heavily Batman Begins based and has several scenes taken straight from the movie, though some of the lines have been changed to make them work in the story. I obviously don't own Batman Begins in any way shape or form so. Also, since this is obviously an AU there are obvious differences between this and the actual series. First off in this being that the relation between Bruce and Lucius is the same as it is in Begins and Dark Knight than it is in the series. Also, Bruce's suit is like it is in Begins. It makes sense because, really, Batman may be good at what he does but he's not stupid enough to go out wearing a cloth suit. So while the suit looks like it does in the animated series it's made from items in the movie. Another thing, the time that this takes place in is around 1985 so granted, a lot of the technology hasn't been developed but for the sake of the story, it has. Batman always has the cool toys so why not, right? Unfortunately, he doesn't have a car yet. Sorry, no Tumbler.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven : Getting Started**

**Then**

Bruce stepped out of the airplane terminal at Logan Airport in Boston Massachusetts. He had been gone for three years and his eighteenth birthday had been only two weeks ago. He'd learned a lot during his three years abroad. After claiming his lone duffle bag he headed out of the airport to hail a cab. As he walked through the airport he passed a small bookstore and one of the books displayed out front caught his eye. He stopped and inspected the comic and the first thing he noticed was the name of the author. "He actually did it." He muttered.

"You plan on buying that kid?" The clerk asked.

Bruce thought about it for a moment. He checked the price on the book then checked to see if he had enough to purchase it. He didn't. "I guess not." He said. "I'll just have to get a copy from Taji next time I see him."

The clerk blinked rapidly, his features turning skeptical. "You know Taji Marin?"

Bruce nodded, "Yeah, haven't seen him in a while though. I didn't know he had actually gotten around to publishing his work." He put the book back on the shelf. He turned away from the bookstore and left the airport. He expected to hail a taxi but somehow he wasn't surprised to see Alfred standing beside the Bentley. "Why am I not surprised?" He asked as he approached the vehicle.

"It is good to see you Master Bruce." Alfred said, "You are looking well. Apart from the mud." He said, glancing down at Bruce's muddy shoes and the various mud splatters on his clothing.

Bruce just smiled. He got into the car and his smile got wider when he saw the occupant in the back seat. "So you finally decided to get published huh?"

Aré smiled back. "Yeah, it's only been our for a couple of months but it's selling pretty good. That's why we're in Boston in the first place. I've got a book signing tomorrow. Then well, I just had this feeling you were going to be in town."

"You've been following me." Bruce said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"I'm surprised you never noticed before. I've been keeping an eye on you ever since you split in Japan."

"How are things between you and Hitomi? Did she come back to the States with you?"

Aré's smile vanished. "She died two years ago. Car accident."

"Oh, sorry."

"You didn't know." Aré said. He didn't feel like dwelling on the subject. "Besides, we've got other things to think about now that you're back. There's something you need to know that you're not going to like to hear. Joseph Chill is being brought up on early parole. He's cut a deal with the DA's office. His hearing is next week."

Bruce was stunned. "They're letting him go?" He demanded, his voice rising as he spoke. "That man killed my parents and they're just going to let him go!?"

"I know it's not fair right?" Aré said. "But that's the way it is. I hope he doesn't get it but it's looking like he will."

"They can't do that!"

"They can. He apparently gained some valuable information while on the inside. He's being awarded early parole for his testimony."

Bruce leaned back against the seat of the car and seethed. He was going to be there at the hearing that much was certain. Alfred drove them back to the motel that Aré was currently staying at. "You hired Alfred?" Bruce asked after a while.

Aré shrugged, "Not really. But he needed something to do to keep from worrying about you all the time. You gave him a few gray hairs while you were gone." The car stopped and Bruce and Aré both got out. Alfred parked the car and Aré led Bruce up to the room. Once inside he pointed to the bathroom. "Go get a shower, you reek."

Bruce looked down at himself. He knew he was a bit dirty but he didn't realize he smelled that bad. When he looked back up he realized Aré was teasing him. He was going to have to get used to that again. Bruce went and quickly showered and changed into something cleaner and when he came out asked, "Do you have a copy of the book you had published?"

"Huh?" Aré asked at first, "Oh yeah, actually I do." He went over to the desk and picked up the book and held it out to Bruce. "It's not exactly top quality but it sells."

Bruce took the book, sat down and began to read.

* * *

One week later Bruce found himself outside of the Gotham City Courthouse. Alfred and Aré had both tried to persuade him not to attend the hearing but him being as stubborn as he was, was at the courthouse anyway. Aré was right beside him.

The two entered the courthouse and went to the room Joe Chill's hearing was going to take place in. The room wasn't as large as some of the other trial rooms but it was large enough to serve its purpose. They sat in the back of the room and waited for the proceedings to start. Joe Chill was led out in cuffs to sit beside his attorney. They all rose when the judge came out and sat when he did. The hearing was quite brief.

"The depression hit working people, like Mr. Chill, hardest of all. His crime was appalling, yes, but it was not motivated by greed, but by desperation. And given the ten years already served, as well as his extraordinary level of cooperation with one of this office's most important investigations we strongly endorse his petition for early release." Said the ADA.

"Mr. Chill?" The Judge asked.

Chill stood and faced the Judge. "Your Honor, not a day goes by that I don't wish I could take back what I did." Chill said, "Sure I was desperate, like a lot of people back then, but that don't change what I did."

The judge nodded once. "I gather there's a member of the Wayne family here today. Does he have anything to say?"

Chill froze and Bruce stood. Aré glanced up at Bruce from his seat next to him. Chill turned around and glanced at Bruce. The young man's eyes were cold and his jaw was set as he gazed at Chill. Then Bruce turned and left the courtroom. Aré stood and followed Bruce from the courtroom.

Once outside Bruce stalked down the hall. He was absolutely livid. How could they let his parent's killer go? It wasn't right, _it wasn't fair!_ Having to take out his frustration somehow he spun around and punched the wall as hard as he could. "Ow." He exclaimed after the impact, shaking his now red hand a little.

Aré saw Bruce take out his frustration out on the unsuspecting wall. He shook his head and approached the young man. "Let me see your hand." He said gently.

"It's fine." Bruce said, massaging his hand to try and alleviate the ache.

"Right." Aré said. He reached out and took Bruce's hand in his own and began to examine it. Nothing appeared broken, which was good. He noticed Bruce watching him as he examined the boy's hand. "Nothing looks broken." Aré said, massaging Bruce's hand. "Really, what did that poor wall ever do to you?"

Bruce sighed, "It's not right. How come he gets to have a second chance at life when my parent's lives are done forever?" He looked down at his hand, a confused look crossing his face. "How are you doing that?" His hand really had hurt. He'd thought for a minute there that he had actually broken it. He'd refused to complain about the pain though. The pain had for a moment taken his mind off of other things.

"I'm made of magic remember?" Aré said softly and with a small smile on his face. He let go of Bruce's hand. "I don't know what to tell you. I know it's not right but," he shrugged, "there's not a whole lot that we can do about it."

The two turned when they heard people coming out of the courtroom they had just come from. Chill was being led out alongside his attorney and a bunch of reporters all crowded around him to ask questions and get a statement from the now free man. The two watched as Chill came towards him. A woman's voice yelled out over the rest, "Chill, hey Chill," she called as she approached him, "Rupert Thorn says 'hi.'" There was the sound of a gunshot and Chill fell to the ground. The surrounding police officers tackled the woman and wrestled the weapon away from her.

Aré grabbed Bruce's arm and tried to pull him away as two police officers tried to revive Chill. "Let's go, you don't need to see this."

Bruce didn't budge and his gaze was fixed in Chill's lifeless form. "Yes I do." He whispered.

Aré looked back once more then pulled harder on Bruce's arm. This time he was able to get the young man moving. "No you don't." He said a bit more forcefully and they left the scene. The drive back to the manor was a silent one. Bruce stared out the passenger window; he was obviously somewhere else at the moment. Aré was beginning to worry. "Hey," he said, getting Bruce's attention, "you all right?"

"Yes," Bruce said, then shook his head. "No. I've wanted to kill him for years and now I can't even do that."

"Even if you had tried I never would have let you go through with it."

"You really think you would have been able to stop me?"

"You bet your sweet little ass I would have." He stopped the car at the entrance to the driveway to Wayne Manor and turned to Bruce. He smiled and let his eyes glow for a moment. "You only know of a small portion of what I can do." His eyes returned to normal. "I could freeze time around you if I wanted to. You'd be stuck in the same place, in the same position, until you either died or I let you go." He drove the rest of the way to the manor.

"You can control time?" Bruce asked as he got out of the car.

Aré nodded, "One of the perks of being what I am."

"So, could you go back in time if you wanted?"

"Yes," He caught the look in Bruce's eye, "but it doesn't work like that. I couldn't go back and save your parents if that's what you're thinking. I'm not allowed to go back and change the past. There are rules to traveling through time." He headed towards the mansion. "Besides, only the Fae Royal Family has the authority to travel in time. Correction, just the King and his first born have the authority. Time travel cannot be done without their permission."

"Could you ask them?" Bruce asked as he followed Aré into the manor.

Aré shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't." Aré watched as Bruce passed him and went up stairs. He sighed and turned towards Alfred, who he heard coming out towards them.

"I saw what happened at the hearing on the news. Are you two all right?" Alfred asked.

"We're fine." Aré said. "We weren't in the line of fire." He turned to look once more in the direction Bruce had disappeared in. "I'm not sure about how he's doing now. I think he's in shock from what happened." He quickly told Alfred about what had happened and their discussion in the car.

"Oh dear," Alfred said, "I can see why he would take your refusal to use time travel the way he did. You told him who had authority over time travel but you never actually came out and said that you—"

"No." Aré said, shaking his head. "Because what he would ask of me is something I couldn't do."

* * *

Bruce threw his jacket on his bed then went into a part of the manor that was used for storage. There had been a point many years before that he'd moved all of the photo albums with his parents in it to the storage area. He decided now would be a good time to go pull them out and look through them.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for, as he already knew where the albums were. He pulled out the box that held the albums and brought it to his room. He locked the door behind him and began to pull out the albums and look through them. The pictures of his parents at varying ages was painful enough but when he came to the pictures that included him in them he felt his chest begin to constrict.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Bruce continued to look through the photo albums. As he looked through one of them he noticed there were pictures he hadn't seen before. Either that or he just didn't remember seeing them. "Wow," he muttered upon finding a very old picture of Aré. He pulled out the picture and flipped it over. The date written on the back was July 2, 1894. Actually, Bruce realized the album he had mostly contained pictures of Aré. The only thing that changed in his appearance was his style of clothing and how long his hair was.

Bruce continued to look through it and in the back of the album was what looked like a family tree. Not just any family tree, his family tree. It started with the most recent relative and worked its way backward as the pages went on. He easily found his and his parents names. There was the name of his uncle and two cousins. He followed the line back, his curiosity having gotten the best of him. In 1826 there had been a baby born who had only survived for one day. While he was intrigued by his family tree Bruce wondered why it was in an album full of pictures of Aré.

When he got to the last page of the family tree the writing changed from being in mainly written in English to being dominantly written in characters. It looked as if someone had come back and translated the characters at some point. He found the family patriarch, Charles Wayne, written almost at the top of the page. The only thing above him was the names of his parents and those of his wife's family.

Bruce felt his breath catch as he saw the name of his ancestor's wife, Mari Knight Wayne. His fingers traced along the lines that connected her to her side of the family. Two brothers, one older and one younger; Marcus being the younger. He moved his shaking fingers over the name of Mari's older brother; Aré Enzeru, Oni written in parenthesis. Bruce forcefully released the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. He quickly read the little notation that was next to Aré's name. _First born child of King Kane Enzeru of the Fae Court and Lady Hana Marie. Crown Prince of the Fae Court. Immortal and very powerful in the magical arts. Bears the mark of 'oni' on his forehead. A tattoo symbolizing his gods and the world he comes from on his back on the lower right side._

Bruce had seen that tattoo before. He closed the album, probably with more force than was necessary. Bruce was angry, angrier than he had been in a long time. This was something that he had a right to know. Why hadn't Aré told him they were related? He'd known Aré for ten freaking years and he'd never once hinted at them being related. Bruce got up and left his room and went looking for Aré determined to get answers one way or another.

* * *

Bruce found Aré in the main living room with various drawing pads and pens and pencils strewn about. Obviously working on his next comic. "Why didn't you tell me?" Bruce demanded, his voice low and threatening.

Aré looked up from what he was working on and pulled the other pencil he was using from his mouth. Thinking that Bruce was referring to his discussion on time travel he said, "I already told you it's not allowed. I can't go back and change the past." He said.

"That's not what I'm talking about." Bruce said. "Why didn't you tell me that we're related?"

A shocked expression crossed Aré's face before he slowly rose from his position on the floor. "Oh, that." Aré said softly.

"Yeah, that. What? You didn't think it was important?"

Aré shook his head. "That's not it. I didn't think you were ready to know."

"Right, but I was ready to learn you're not human."

That struck a nerve. "Don't go there. And I fell off a cliff if you remember correctly. I never actually told you what I was. You have my blood in you too. After I gave my blood to my sister she retained some of my _inhuman_ traits."

"So if you hadn't fallen off the cliff and had to use your powers you never would have told me anything, would you?"

Aré let out an exasperated sigh, "To be honest, I don't know when I would have told you. After everything that had happened to you I didn't know how you would handle it." He stepped away from his scattered materials and moved closer to Bruce. "But I would have told you."

"So what does that make you? To me that is?"

"A very, very, very great uncle." Aré said. "You don't really want me to get into the technicalities of that do you?"

Bruce shook his head, "No, my head hurts enough as it is."

Aré chuckled and rolled his eyes. "You're just like your grandfather." He said. "All of you Wayne's are."

"My grandfather?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah," Aré said, returning to his materials, "You're all just like Wayne, stubborn to a fault." Bruce looked confused; his grandfather's name wasn't Wayne. "I mean Charles. None of us could pronounce his first name at first so we all stuck to calling him Wayne. Even after we learned to speak each other's languages fluently we just stuck with calling him Wayne."

"Oh." Bruce moved and sat in one of the empty chairs. "Tell me about them. The family I never met."

"I can do that and better. I can show you what they all looked like." Aré quickly ran up to his room and when he came back he was carrying the box that held all of his sketch books. He pulled out the books and began to flip through them and showing Bruce the various family members that had died long before Bruce had been born and telling the young man stories from the past.

* * *

Since before Bruce had returned to Gotham City he'd begun thinking of a way that he could help the city he lived in that would do more good than simply some billionaire child speaking out against crime. That was part of the reason he had left on his personal journey three years before, he wanted to hone his skills and put them to good use. The thought had crossed his mind on telling Aré and Alfred what he had planned but knowing those two they'd try to talk him out of it.

In the few weeks that he'd been back in Gotham he'd been sneaking out at night and doing what little he could to fight injustice within the city. The main problem was, to him at least, was that the criminals he fought weren't afraid of him. He wanted, no needed, them to be afraid. It wasn't going to work unless they were afraid of him. He would also need help, someone within the police department that could be trusted. But considering how many dirty cops there were on Gotham's police force finding a good, clean, cop was going to be quite hard. Considering that they were few and far between.

There was one cop who looked promising, Sergeant James Gordon. Bruce remembered him from the night his parents were killed. Gordon had stayed with him the whole time he had been at the station answering questions about what had happened. He hadn't left Bruce's side until Bruce had finally gone home with Alfred. Bruce liked Sergeant Gordon, he thought it was probably time the two of them had a talk, but that would have to wait until a little later. First he had some other things to take care of.

Bruce pulled out the sketchbook he had gotten and started to flip through the various ideas he had drawn up for a good costume to wear while fighting crime. There was one idea that he kept coming back to but he didn't think there was any way that he could feasibly make it work. The stuff he would need for it wasn't something he would just find lying around the manor. He defiantly needed an outside opinion.

Bruce took his sketchpad and went looking for the one other person in the house least likely to have a conniption fit from the idea that Bruce had. He found Aré once again working on his comic. "Can I run something by you?" Bruce asked.

Aré looked up from his work; surprisingly things between them had gotten much better after the revelation that Aré was Bruce's uncle. "Sure, what'cha need?"

Bruce held out the sketchpad for Aré to see. "What do you think?" He asked.

"You planning on a costume party?" Aré asked after looking at the sketch.

Bruce sighed, "Do you think it would scare people?"

Aré took the book and once again looked at the figure on the page. "That depends. I mean, this looks like a guy dressed up like a bat."

"It is."

A silver eyebrow arched upward. "A bat? You plan on dressing up like a bat and doing what, exactly?"

Bruce shrugged, "Scaring criminals shitless."

Aré laughed. "Okay. Whatever floats your boat, I guess." He shook his head at the thought of what Bruce planned. He looked at the picture again. "Where'd you get the bat from?"

"A couple days before my parents died I fell down a well and was attacked by a bunch of bats that came flying out from a crack in the well wall. Bats frighten me, I want to have my enemies share my dread."

"You don't have any enemies."

"Not yet, but I will."

"I gotta tell ya, you're crazy." Aré handed Bruce back the sketchpad. "Where do you plan on getting the supplies for your little costume?"

"Well, I do own Wayne Enterprises. And I figured it was time everyone down there remembers I am still alive."

"That would probably be a good idea. Earle seems to think _he_ owns the company. You might want to remind him who the real boss is before he goes and gets any wrong ideas." Aré picked up his inking pen. "Are you going to tell Alfred what you're planning soon? He is going to find out one way or another, might as well just tell him and get it over with."

"I'm trying to avoid giving him an early heart attack."

Aré laughed. "Yeah well, try as you might, if he finds out some other way than you telling him no amount of training is going to save you from his wrath. He thinks of you as a son you know. I'm sure he'll support you no matter what you do. Or how crazy you are." He went back to inking his picture. "Anyway, do you think you're ready for the responsibility of running a company?"

"I think I can handle it. Besides, if things start to get too tough I know who I can ask for help."

"I'm sure Alfred would _love_ to run Wayne Enterprises." Aré said sarcastically.

Bruce laughed, "We'll just have to wait and see."

Surprising both of them, Alfred took the news rather well.

* * *

At mid morning the next day Bruce entered Wayne Enterprises and headed up to the executive offices. When he arrived he found the executives already in a meeting. He really didn't care about whatever it was they were talking about. He went up to the receptionist, a young dark skinned woman with long dark hair tied up in a bun and who was currently working on some kind of office work. He walked up to the desk and looked down at what she was working on. "I'm here to see Mr. Earle." He said.

"He's in a meeting right now." The young woman said. She switched her gaze from the paper in front of her to an appointment book. "I could make an appointment. Name please."

"Bruce Wayne."

The young woman looked up at him now, stunned.

* * *

"You've grown since the last time I saw you." Earle said to Bruce over drinks. Bruce's being non-alcoholic of course. "We were beginning to fear you were dead." Earle examined Bruce. "You look like him you know? Your father, I mean."

"So I've been told." Bruce said, looking down at his drink. "I want to get to know the company that my family built. I'm not looking to take control of the company right away." He caught the expression that had quickly flitted over Earle's face before it returned to being neutral. "Right now all I'm looking for is a job."

"Any ideas where you would start?" Earle asked.

"Applied Sciences caught my eye."

"Fox's department?" Earle asked, confused. "I'll let him know you're coming." He took off his glasses and smiled at Bruce. "You're the only one of the Wayne family left. This is where you belong." He raised his glass in toast. "Welcome home."

* * *

Lucius Fox was a middle aged African American, with just a hint of gray in his otherwise dark hair, who had a mind that could be compared to Einstein. He was currently looking at a readout on one of the most advanced computers in the Wayne Enterprises building. Though given the amount of work actually being done on it all that the computer was good for was playing Pong or working as a paperweight.

"Environmental procedures, defense projects, consumer products." Fox was saying while staring at the screen. He leaned back in his chair and swiveled around to face Bruce. "All prototypes. None in production. On any level whatsoever."

"None?" Bruce asked, the confusion in his voice clear.

"What did they tell you this place was?" Fox asked, standing up and heading over to a switch on the wall.

"They didn't tell me anything."

Fox flipped the switch and the rest of the lights in the department came on. "Earle told me exactly what it was when he sent me down here. Dead end. Place to keep me from causing the board any more trouble." He made a motion with his head. "Come on."

Fox led Bruce down through rows upon rows of abandoned projects. They continued talking as they walked. "You were on the board?" Bruce asked.

"When your father ran things."

"You knew my father?"

"Oh, yeah. Helped him build his train." Fox finally found the container he was looking for. He pointed at it and stopped. "Here we are." He flipped the latches on the container and opened it. Inside was a harness of some kind and various other items. Fox picked up one of them. "Kevlar utility harness." He pointed to what looked like a gun. "Gas-powered, magnetic grapple gun. The 350-pound test monofilament." He picked up the small item and showed it to Bruce before returning it to the container.

Bruce picked up another item and flipped open the lid. He was impressed by what he saw. In his mind he was already thinking about how he could use the items. All he had to do was to somehow convince Fox to let him have the items. He put the item he had in his hand back and continued following Fox.

Fox led him to another area. He stopped in front of what looked like a large file cabinet. He reached out and pulled out one of the draws. Inside was what looked like body armor. "Nomex survival suit for advanced infantry." He said, lifting the suit up a little. "Kevlar bi-weave, reinforced joints." He knocked on the armor.

Bruce reached out and ran his fingers over the chest plate. "Tear-resistant?" He asked.

"This sucker will stop a knife." Fox began putting the suit away.

"Bulletproof?"

"Anything but a straight shot."

Granted Bruce was only eighteen and that suit was perfect for what he wanted to do but the number of lives that could have been saved. "Why didn't they put it into production?"

"Bean counters didn't think a soldier's life was worth three hundred grand." The sound of Fox closing the draw sounded almost final for the soldiers out on the front lines. Fox leaned against the cabinet, "So, what's your interest in it, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce put on the most innocent looking expression that he could muster. "I want to borrow it." He shrugged and went with the first excuse that came to mind, "For, uh, spelunking."

Fox looked skeptical, "Spelunking?"

"Yeah, you know, cave diving?"

Fox suppressed the smile that threatened to break out. "You expecting to run into much gunfire in these caves?"

Now Bruce did look sheepish. "Look, I'd rather Mr. Earle didn't know about me borrowing—"

"Mr. Wayne," Fox interrupted, "the way I see it all this stuff is yours anyway."

"Thank you." Bruce said.

Lucius had a feeling there was more going on than Bruce was letting on. He wasn't worried though. Whatever it was, it was going to make his life interesting.

* * *

Bruce returned home later that afternoon and one of the first things he did was get some rigging together and headed out to the well he had fallen into when he was a child. Once he had everything set up he repelled down the well and found the large crack in the wall. He pulled out a flashlight and peered down the crack. It looked large enough for him to fit through. He carefully crawled through the small hole and was glad to notice that the opening was getting wider and he eventually came out into a large cavern. Bruce shined the flashlight through the cavern. He was in what appeared to be a series of large caves.

It was cold enough in the caves for Bruce to see his breath. He could hear water running somewhere nearby, a large amount by the sound of it. There was a little bit of light filtering in from cracks in the ceiling above. Turning his head he saw an underground waterfall off in the distance.

He heard something else echoing from above him and lifting the flashlight towards the ceiling he saw bats, hundreds of them, and then suddenly they were all in flight. Bruce's first instinct was to duck and run. For a brief instant he was back stuck down the well and the bats were attacking him. He'd crouched down and covered his head. Then something changed in him and he looked up. The bats were circling him, thankfully none of them touching him. He watched them, fascinated now in the flying creatures. Bruce stood slowly and the bats circled him for a long while. He finally returned to the surface once the bats went back to where they had come from.

The underground caves were massive. They would be the perfect place to hide the alter ego that was already forming inside of him. The very thing that had been born the night his parents had been killed. It was about time he breathed life into his creation.

* * *

A few days later Bruce found himself suspended from the ceiling of the caves and installing lights into them. He wasn't alone down there though, Alfred was supervising and Aré had been a big help with installing the lights given his ability to fly. Bruce hammered one of the last supports into place. He turned around as best he could to face Alfred. "Okay, let's give it a try." He said.

Alfred moved over to the generator and flipped a switch. The lights came on and the three of them looked around the caves. The hundreds of bats that resided within them were perched upon the ceiling. "Charming." Alfred said, sarcasm filtering into his voice.

Aré laughed as he looked around. "Well, at least he'll have company."

With the lights they were better able to see what else was in the caves. They knew that the manor had been built over them and they were now able to see the manor's support foundations. "This must be the lowest foundation of the southeast wing." Alfred said, pointing up at the old foundation and heading towards them. Bruce lowered himself to the ground and after getting out of the harness he and Aré followed Alfred. "In the Civil War, your great-great-grandfather was involved in the Underground Railroad secretly transporting freed slaves to the North and I suspect that these caverns came in handy."

"They did." Aré said as they approached an old elevator that lead back up into the manor. "I helped him at times moving the free slaves. There was one point when there was suspicion of what your grandfather was doing and the whole manor was searched. They never found anything because the entrance to these caves was so well hidden." He looked up the elevator shaft. "I haven't been down here in almost a hundred years. This elevator looks like it's going to need some repairs."

Bruce grabbed hold of the chains that hung down the shaft and shook them a little. "You could repair this?" He asked.

Aré nodded. "Not a problem. I may have to make my own replacement parts but all in all it's not too hard a job."

"Where does this lead up to?"

"If I remember correctly, the large bookcase in the library. There's a switch in the case that opens up to these tunnels. I'll have to check and make sure that's still working too."

They returned to the larger opening in the cave and Bruce went up to the manor long enough to don the Kevlar bodysuit to test to see just how flexible it was and also to break it in, in a sense. After he returned to the caves he followed one of the shallow rivers up to the waterfall that had light behind it. Alfred and Aré followed, watching him. Bruce stood beside the edge of the waterfall and stuck his hand in the flowing water. Aré didn't have any problems with following Bruce to the waterfalls edge, Alfred stayed behind. Bruce turned around to Alfred, "Alfred, come up here!" He yelled over the sound of the running water and making a come here gesture.

"I can see everything all right from down here, sir, thank you very much." Bruce just smiled and Aré outright laughed.

Things started to move right along after that. Bruce painted the survival suit black along with the gauntlets with three scallops on the side that he had picked up in his travels. Bruce was pretty good at drawing but he asked Aré to draw up a scale model of the suit that he had drawn but also taking into account the survival suit and the gauntlets. It didn't take long for Aré to come up with the blueprints Bruce wanted and he and Alfred were currently looking at the blueprints for the cowl and trying to figure out what they would need and how to assemble it.

"We order the main part of this cowl from Singapore." Alfred said, pointing out the section on the blueprints.

"Via a dummy corporation." Bruce guessed.

"Indeed. And then, quite separately we place an order to a Chinese company for these." This time he pointed to the 'ears' of the cowl.

"Put it together ourselves."

"Precisely. They'll have to be large orders, to avoid suspicion."

"How large?" Bruce asked.

Alfred took a second to think. "Say, uh, ten thousand."

Bruce looked at Alfred like he'd suddenly grown a second head. "Well, at least we'll have spares." He said sarcastically.

"Yes." They went ahead and ordered the parts from the two dummy companies.

* * *

The next day Bruce once again found himself looking for something else he would need for his costume. His venture out the night before had required him to jump from one building to another and he had almost missed his target. He'd barely been able to grab the fire escape as it was. He definitely would need something to help him glide.

He entered the Applied Sciences department and found Fox sitting at his desk. Fox turned to him once he saw Bruce coming towards him. "Well, what is it today? More spelunking?"

Bruce shook his head and smiled. "No, today it's base-jumping."

"Base-jumping." Fox nodded. "That like parachuting?"

"Kind of." Bruce said. "Do you have any lightweight fabrics?"

A smile crossed Fox's lips. "You know, I think I have just the thing." Lucius led Bruce through the department until he came across the small container he was looking for. He opened it and took out the contents, a pair of gloves and a large sheet of fabric. "It's called memory cloth. Notice anything?"

Bruce felt the cloth but nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary. He shook his head and waited for Fox to explain.

Fox slipped on one of the gloves. "Regularly flexible," He explained, "but put a current though it," he flicked his wrist in a certain way and placed his gloved hand on the cloth, which suddenly became rigid, "molecules realign, it becomes rigid."

"What kind of shapes can you make?" Bruce asked, now very intrigued.

"It can be tailored to fit any structure based on a rigid skeleton."

"Too expensive for the Army?" This was another thing that would have had exceptional military applications.

"Well I don't think they tried to market it to the billionaire, spelunking, base-jumping crowd." Fox said with a smile.

Bruce couldn't help but smile also, "Look, Mr. Fox."

"Yes sir?"

"If you're uncomfortable—"

Fox interrupted him, "Mr. Wayne, if you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing," he shrugged, "when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot."

Bruce nodded, "Fair enough."

When Bruce went home that night he took the memory cloth and its accessories with him. He was able to set the cloth on a skeleton of his choosing. When he attached it to what he had so far of his costume, he was impressed. Now all he needed was for the cowl parts to come in.

A week or so later the parts for the cowl finally came in. There were several boxes of each part. They took the boxes down into the caves and began inspecting the items inside and putting the first cowl together. Something felt off on the mask part of the cowl. They had gotten a call from the manufacturer after the shipment had been sent out to tell them that there had been a problem that had just now been noticed. While Bruce watched Alfred took out one of the head pieces and laid it on the table. He then took a baseball bat and smashed it down on the head, the cowl shattered instantly.

"It's a problem with the graphite, sir." Alfred said, taking off the safety goggles that he had on. "The next ten thousand will be up to specifications."

"At least they gave us a discount." Bruce said.

"Quite." Alfred put the bat aside and Bruce turned to work on the 'ears' of the cowl. "In the meantime, sir, may I suggest you try to avoid landing on your head?"

Bruce laughed quietly to himself at that. With the parts to the cowl here, even though they weren't up to specification, he was able to start assembling his costume. He moved over to where his suit was set up. He'd already gotten the utility harness worked up the way he wanted. He put together the cowl and, after putting in the electronics that were required, placed it atop the costume. He stepped back and looked at it. He was happy with how it looked and now that it was finally complete he could use it to his heart's content.

"You got a name for that thing?" Aré asked from his place sitting on one of the other tables. "I mean, what do you expect to call yourself in that thing? 'The guy who's in serious need of a room with padded walls.'"

"That's a long name." Bruce said. "I was thinking of something simpler." Aré raised an eyebrow in question. "I was thinking……. Batman."


	12. Twelve: Batman

**A/N: **There's another Batman Begins scene in this chapter but modified a bit. Sorry if there's any OOC-ness but I honestly don't know how Bruce would have acted at 18. Also, my influence for his first night out came from the book Batman: No Man's Land. That book also hinted that Bruce had his first night out as Batman while still a teenager so I went with it.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Batman**

Bruce donned his new suit late that night and left the manor. He really wanted to see what his suit was made of, though he wasn't exactly planning on getting himself shot or anything. He trusted that the suit was bulletproof but wasn't going to purposely test the theory. He headed down towards the docks; most of the illegal activity in the city could be traced down there.

The young man was not surprised in the least to find activity down there that wasn't at all legal. He sat perched upon the top of one of the buildings and looked down at the unsuspecting men working on moving large crates around. Using the devices in his cowl he was able to hear everything that was being said by the men. He knew exactly what was in those crates. Dirty cops and drugs, currently Gotham's two biggest problems. It probably didn't help that Rupert Throne had half the city bought and paid for.

Batman had made an anonymous call to the authorities about the drug shipment coming into the city by way of the docks. He didn't expect them to show though. Thing was, short of getting caught red handed or they just so happen to be near their contraband they would be out in twenty-four hours. That is if they were even arrested.

Batman left the roof and, keeping to the shadows, entered the warehouse and further inspected what was going on inside. By his count there were only about ten men total, five outside and five inside. He'd been watching the men outside unload and now, from his position in the rafters, watched the men inside unpack the boxes and begin organizing their contents based on quality. While at first Batman had only known about the drugs he was a bit surprised to find weapons and gems in some of the boxes. He really didn't care about the gems, they were no threat, but it was the drugs and weapons that he was bound and determined to keep off the streets. He'd been doing so well on his little outings, now maybe they'd be afraid of him.

One of the men left his companions to take care of some personal business and Batman followed him. The poor unsuspecting man had no idea what hit him before he was out cold on the floor. Batman quickly tied him up and left him to go take care of the others.

"Johnny!" One of the other four men in the warehouse called out, "Where the hell are you? It can't have taken you that long to take a piss. Get your lazy ass back out here; we've got work to do. Thorne's not going to be happy if we're late."

Thug One stopped what he was doing and started after Johnny. When he turned the corner he came face to cowl with Batman. There was a moment of stunned silence from the man before Johnny's unconscious form caught his eye. He managed to get his gun out and up but the man, or whatever he was in front of him, shot out his hands and there was an echoing _crack_ as Thug One's wrist was snapped. He cried out in shock and pain and fell to the ground grasping is broken wrist.

The noise from Thug One caused Thugs Two, Three and Four to come running. They found one man unconscious and the other writhing in pain but there was no sign of what had caused two of their comrades to fall. "What happened?" Thug Three asked.

"I happened." A low voice growled from behind them.

The three turned as one, weapons drawn, and a massive black shape attacked. Two of the men screamed and the third one was able to back up enough to get a shot off. Batman felt the impact of the bullet against his chest. It hurt and knocked the breath from his lungs momentarily but the armor kept the bullet from penetrating.

Batman dropped low and swung out with his leg, he took down the two closest to him. Thug Two's head made a sickening sound as it impacted the concrete below him and he lay still. Batman's heart skipped momentarily but the steady rise and fall of the man's chest assured him that he was alive. While Batman wanted to do many things to help Gotham, killing wasn't one of them. The other man who had gone down had thrown out a hand to help brace his fall and while he hadn't fallen as hard as the other man his arm did end up bending in an unnatural way.

Thug Three was the only one left standing. He fired off a few quick shots but he somehow missed his target. Batman was moving too fast for Thug Three to actually take the time to aim. "Hold still!" Three yelled in frustration.

Batman didn't listen. He continued to move and had somehow managed to dodge the other shots that came his way. Thug Three continued backing away until his back hit a stack of crates behind him. Batman took the man's moment of confusion to move in and slam the man's head back against the crate.

The commotion from inside the warehouse alerted the men outside that something wasn't right. While Batman tied up Thugs One through Five, Thugs Six through Ten ran into the building to see what was wrong, guns drawn. They found Thugs One through Five moaning and tied up to each other. The one in charge of the last five motioned for two others to split off and search the area.

Batman looked down and watched them from his position on one of the crates high above them. The tell tale sound of sirens caught his attention and those of the other five men below him. They were coming closer. "Damn it!" Yelled the one Batman had dubbed Thug Six. "Cops. Thorne is not going to be happy." He gestured to the two others, "We need to move this stuff and get out of here. You two start moving. I'm going to help the others try and find who did this." He then stalked off after the first two he had sent looking through the warehouse.

Batman dropped down once Thug Six had moved away from Thugs Seven and Nine. He took those two out quickly and tied them together with the first group. The sirens were getting closer and he estimated that the police would arrive sometime within the next three minutes or so. If things went like he planned then he would have everyone tied up nicely for the police and be out of there before they showed up. Satisfied that the men he had already tied up weren't going to wake anytime soon he went after the final three thugs.

The other three were doing their best to locate the one who had attacked them. Batman watched and stayed out of their sight. He was just about to go take care of the other three when the sound of a door being kicked in echoed throughout the warehouse. The sound distracted the last three thugs and Batman was able to easily take care of them. They didn't go down quietly though. One of the men had cried out when he had attacked and another one had gotten a shot off. The noise alerted the police to which direction to head in. Batman had just gotten two of the last three men tied together when the police came around the corner.

"Freeze!" Yelled one of the officers. His weapon was already out and was now trained upon the figure in black.

Batman was quick to move but unfortunately he was not quick enough. There was the echo of a gunshot and then suddenly his shoulder was on fire. He couldn't help the cry of pain that escaped. He spun and shot out a batarang, more for distraction than anything else. It was enough for him to escape. The problem was that while he was able to escape the two officers he knew he couldn't get out of the building with all of the police currently in and surrounding the warehouse. He gripped his left shoulder and moved to hide among the clean crates along the floor. He bit down on his lip to keep from crying out more. He'd broken bones before but he'd never felt pain like this. It felt like someone had shoved a hot spike through his shoulder.

A single pair of footsteps caught his attention and he moved into a crouching position. His pulse sped up. He couldn't believe it, he was actually scared. He realized that he wasn't really afraid of being caught, he was more afraid of what would happen should his identity be discovered. He hadn't thought about what could happen if someone should find out.

The person the footsteps belonged to rounded the corner and Batman recognized the man to be Sergeant Gordon. The sergeant had his weapon out and aimed upon Batman but the look that crossed his face upon seeing Batman was at first one of surprise then turned to confusion. His weapon lowered slightly when he saw the blood running down Batman's arm. "You're the one who called us, weren't you?" Gordon asked.

Batman nodded slightly. "That was me."

"I guess you were the one to take them down tonight." Again, Batman nodded. "Who are you?" Gordon asked, and took a step closer to the figure.

"I'm Batman." Wow, hearing it out loud it was actually kind of corny. "I want to help," he slowly stood and once again gripped his shoulder, "doesn't look like I'm off to a very good start."

"I should arrest you." Gordon said, "Vigilantism isn't legal." He paused and looked behind him before returning his gaze to the figure in black, "But, I have a feeling that you would be doing this city more good than harm." He shrugged and put his weapon away. "I won't arrest you, but you need an ambulance." He nodded his head towards Batman's wound then reached for his walkie talkie to call for assistance.

Blue eyes went wide, "No! I'll be fine."

At this, Gordon raised an eyebrow. He took a moment to really look over the man in front of him. Even with the body armor Gordon could tell that the man was lean but with a slightly muscular build. From the eyes and the set of the jaw, what he could see of it anyway was still soft, almost boyish. _He's still just a kid._ Gordon thought. "There's an exit out the back. Do you think you could get there?"

Batman nodded, "Yes but…." He was _so_ gonna die when he got home.

"I'll make sure nobody sees you." Gordon said. He pulled out his walkie talkie once more and told his officers to start searching though the forward most crates in the warehouse. They'd work their way back as they went. When he was done he put the device away. "That should allow you to get out unnoticed. Go home kid. And next time, duck." With that, Gordon turned away and went back to his men.

Batman was confused and for a moment just stared at where the officer had just been standing. _What just happened?_ He asked himself. The pain in his shoulder drew his attention once again and then he silently crept from his hiding spot and made his way out of the warehouse. True to his word, Gordon made sure that none of the other officers saw him. It took longer than he'd thought it would to get back to where he'd left his vehicle. He was really going to need a new set of wheels if he was going to keep going out at night. That was all he needed, someone to run his plate number and be discovered.

Driving home was interesting to say the least. Once in the car he pulled off his cowl and threw it into the passenger seat. It took everything he had not to yell in pain whenever his shoulder was jarred. The drive home was excruciatingly long. Bruce finally got back at around three. He parked his car in the garage and carefully got out. He hoped, prayed, he'd be able to get inside and patch himself up before anyone noticed his injury. He slammed the door shut, leaving the cowl for morning, well later in the morning anyway. He stayed as quiet as he could and he made his way through the manor and towards the bathroom with the first aid kit.

His luck, as it seemed, was continuing to work against him. He barely made it three steps into the foyer when the light came on and, "Dear gods Bruce, what the hell did you do to yourself?"

Bruce looked up and saw Aré, wearing only pajama bottoms, move quickly towards him.

"What happened?" Aré asked.

"It's nothing," Bruce said, "I'm fine."

"Oh, you're fine are you?" Aré asked. Bruce cried out when Aré grabbed his shoulder. "Then what's this?" He asked, showing Bruce his blood stained fingers. "It sure looks like blood to me." He pulled Bruce towards the bathroom by his good arm. "I thought that thing was supposed to be bullet proof."

"It is bullet proof." Bruce said. Aré looked at him briefly with an eyebrow raised. "The guy got lucky and hit at one of the not so protected areas."

Once in the bathroom Aré sat Bruce down on the edge of the tub and began to help him peel off the armor without hurting his shoulder further. It was still very painful though. By the time the top part of the suit was off Bruce had tears running down his cheeks. He watched as Aré carefully cleaned the wound and did his best to try and stop the bleeding. "I can't even tell if anything is broken." Aré said. "The bullet went completely through, which is good, but I have no way of knowing if anything important was damaged." Seeming to think for a moment he turned to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a razor blade.

Bruce looked at him, confused. "What's that for?" He asked.

"Since you are obviously not going to let me take you to the hospital, which would be the smart thing to do, I have to improvise. Seriously," he brought the blade to his hand and cut, "if I knew it would do any good I'd lock you in your room and never let you out."

"Aré what…?" Bruce's question died when Aré brought his now bleeding hand and placed it over Bruce's wound. Again he looked at Aré confused. "What are you doing?"

"I told you, I'm improvising." He made sure that his blood got into the wound. "You won't be able to go out in public, at least without sunglasses, for the next day or so." The fire that was burning in Bruce's shoulder changed from being extremely painful to being soothing. "It's a good thing we're related. I wouldn't be able to do this otherwise."

"Do what? And why not?"

"Because my power is contained in my blood. If I tried to do this with say, Alfred, it would kill him. The human body wasn't meant to contain this much magical power." Aré pulled back his hand and let his blood mix with Bruce's. "You on the other hand are related via my sister and I gave her my blood when she had that disease. Anyone of her bloodline now has a unique protein marker that is evidence of what I did back then. It allows their bodies to survive having my power. They can't use it unless I do it in such a way as to allow them to use it but right now your body will process what I've given you. Your wound is already healing nicely. Much faster than if I left it untreated." Aré washed his hands in the sink. The cut he'd inflicted upon himself was nothing more than a red line now.

Bruce brought his hand up to his shoulder and stood, moving to the mirror to inspect it. The wound was already closed and looked weeks old. It didn't even hurt anymore. He then realized what Aré meant earlier about needing sunglasses in public. His eyes were the same shade of silver that Aré's were.

"That will fade as my blood works though your system. They'll be back to normal in a day or so." Aré began to clean up his mess. "You are lucky I'm tired right now. In the morning though I am _so_ going to kick your ass." He rubbed his tired eyes and shut off the bathroom light. "Go to bed Bruce. I'll kill you later."

Bruce was then left alone in the dark bathroom. He picked up the part of the suit he had taken off and went up to his room. Now that he thought about it, he was tired. He quickly changed into a pair of sleep pants and crawled into bed. He was out within minutes.

* * *

The sound of curtains being opened and the bright flash of light rudely woke Bruce up later that afternoon. His eyes opened long enough to see Alfred then closed tight and he pulled the covers further over his head. "Bats are nocturnal." He groaned.

"Bat's may be." Alfred said, bringing a tray of food over and set it on a table beside the bed. "But for billionaire playboys three o'clock is pushing it. Price for leading a double life, I fear." Bruce groaned again and rolled over, burying his face in one of his pillows. Alfred caught sight of a large bruise that had formed on Bruce's left shoulder and the multiple other bruises that littered his torso and back. Aré had told him about what had happened early that morning. "If those are going to be the first of many injuries to come it would be wise to find a suitable excuse. Polo, for instance."

"I'm not learning polo, Alfred." Bruce said, still not moving to get up.

Alfred sat down in a chair near the bed. "Strange injuries, nonexistent social life. These things beg to question as to what exactly does Bruce Wayne do with his time and his money."

"What does someone like me do? Besides sleep?"

Alfred shrugged though Bruce didn't see it. "Drive sports cars, date movie stars. Buy things that are not for sale. Who knows, Master Wayne, you start pretending to have fun you might even have a little by accident." He looked over at the tray of food beside the bed. "You really should get up. Your lunch is getting cold and I was asked to remind you by Master Aré that you had an appointment to get your butt kicked this morning."

Bruce rolled over enough to face Alfred and cracked an eye. "He said he was going to kick my butt?"

"I edited for content." Alfred said which Bruce realized meant that Aré had said he was going to royally kick his ass. Bruce rolled back over, clearly not interested.

"Get up!" Something slammed into his mattress and the next thing Bruce knew he was on the floor. A pair of silver eyes stared down at him from where Bruce had been lying only moments earlier. "I'm not tired anymore and I am _so_ going to kick your ass. It's not going to be any fun if you're already on the ground."

"Fine, I'm up." Bruce said. "But no ass kicking." Bruce sat up and stretched.

"I'll refrain from kicking your ass on one condition." Aré said, "You never go out like that again."

Bruce's head spun around to face Aré. "No," he said, "I can do this. I can help."

"You'll have to find another way to help. I've already gotten rid of that suit. Sorry Bats but there are no more late nights for you."

Bruce's jaw just about hit the ground. "It was only my first night and it was only a small injury. You can't do that!"

"_Small injury?_" Aré echoed incredulously. Alfred took this moment to discreetly sneak out of the room. "You got shot for Gods sake! And yes, I can. I don't care if you're eighteen or not I am not about to let you get yourself killed. And if last night is any indication of what's going to happen to you out there there's no way in hell I'm letting you do it again."

"But—"

"No buts. Do you realize how lucky you are not to have gotten killed? If that bullet had entered at even a slightly different angle you would have bled to death."

"I won't get killed." Bruce argued.

"How do you know that?" Aré asked. "You're not immortal Bruce. You can't keep thinking you are." He sighed, rubbing his forehead as if trying to fight a headache. His eyes looked over Bruce as the young man stood and headed for the bathroom. The large bruises on his torso only reminded Aré of what had happened the previous evening. "Stubborn Wayne's." He muttered under his breath after Bruce had disappeared into the bathroom. He left the room and went to further hide Bruce's suit.

Bruce took his time in the bathroom, wanting to be absolutely sure Aré wasn't in his room when he got out. He was glad to see Aré wasn't there when he finally did. He was angry, sure he'd gotten shot but last night was a success. At least, to him it was. After eating the food brought to him by Alfred he took the tray down to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Alfred was already in the kitchen when Bruce entered and was currently working on preparing dinner. "How did your talk with Master Aré go?"Alfred asked.

"He's taken my suit and banned me from ever going out again." Bruce said. "It was an accident." Bruce said, jumping up and sitting on the counter by Alfred. "Those are bound to happen. I figured that between the two of you you'd be the one to go up one side of me and down the other."

"Believe me Master Bruce, I had thought about it."Alfred said. "But I also knew that while I could yell at you all I want and protest your going out I knew you would still go out anyway." He stopped chopping the vegetables and turned to Bruce. "I can also see where Master Aré is coming from. You are his blood relative. After seeing so many of those die I can imagine that he would like to prolong your life for as long as he can. We are both worried you will somehow get yourself killed." He turned back to his chopping. "He has confidence in you," at this Bruce snorted, "he just worries."

"You're not going to try and stop me?" Bruce asked.

"Would it do me any good?"

"Probably not."

"Then I will not try and stop you. I will support whatever decision you make." Alfred put the vegetables into the large pan. Bruce sensed a but coming. "But, I will not help you try and get your suit back. For that you are on your own."

Bruce sighed, that was going to take a lot of work. He hopped down from the counter and did up his dishes. If there was one thing Alfred appreciated from Bruce's time away it was Bruce's ability, or willingness, to help out around the manor.

Once Bruce finished his easy task he moved on to his hardest one for the afternoon. It took him a while to track down Aré but he finally found the immortal sitting upon the manors roof looking out over the ocean. He made his way carefully to Aré's side and sat down beside him. "Can I have my suit back?" He asked.

"No." Aré said, not taking his gaze from the water. "I'm not going to let you go out there and get yourself killed."

"I'm not going to get myself killed." Bruce said. "I don't have a death wish."

"You could have fooled me." Aré finally turned to face Bruce. He noticed that Bruce's eyes were starting to return to their normal blue. "I don't care what you say; you're not getting that suit back."

"Aré this is ridiculous. You're overreacting."

"Maybe," Aré conceded, "but if it keeps you alive." He shrugged, "Then I will continue to overreact."

The two were silent for a long while and Aré had returned to looking out over the ocean. "Can I please have my suit back?" Bruce asked softly.

"Nope." Aré said, making a popping sound on the 'p'.

"Fine, I'll just have to make another one then."

Aré sighed in frustration and turned to look at Bruce again. "You're not going to let this go are you?" Bruce shook his head, suppressing a smile. "Your suit is in the cave in one of the high crevices. You want it; you'll have to climb to get it." Aré stood and walked off the roof and floated a few feet in front of the manor. "You have to make me a promise Bruce. You have to promise that you're not going to do anything reckless. You have to promise that you're not going to try and get yourself killed."

"I promise." Bruce said.

Unfortunately it became clear that Bruce was only able to keep one of those promises. Whenever his suit disappeared he knew he had to cool it for a while but he always got it back.

* * *

By Bruce's nineteenth birthday Gotham knew and partially welcomed the presence of Batman. The streets were starting to become clean. The corruption within the police force was being routed out and good, honest cops were taking the place of the corrupt. Lately Bruce had started joking with Alfred over an old topic that had always gotten on the older man's nerves. When Bruce had been going through his early teenage rebellion phase he'd told Alfred that he was going to go out and get a tattoo. At the time he had actually wanted one but as time went on he'd forgotten about it, until now. Now he wanted one as a way to show what he had become but would not be obvious to anyone who didn't know of his connection to Batman. Problem was Bruce couldn't get up the nerve to actually get inked.

One afternoon he found Aré with various drawings of his bat symbol. "What'cha doing?" He asked.

Aré looked up from his latest sketch. "I'm going to get a new tattoo. I'm just trying to decide which one I want."

Bruce once again looked at the various sketches strewn about. "You're going to get a tattoo of my symbol?"

"That's the plan." Aré said.

"Then I want yours." Bruce said.

Aré actually looked surprised. "Mine?" He asked.

Bruce nodded. "The symbol that's supposed to appear on your forehead. That's the one I want." Bruce had never actually seen the symbol appear but he knew full well what it looked like and what it meant. Now that he thought about it, it was quite fitting. "I have become Gotham's personal demon."

Aré laughed now, surprising Bruce this time. "You are so far from a demon…. But if that's what you want I'll draw up a tattoo. Alfred is going to kill you for getting one."

"I'm old enough to decide to get one or not."

"This is true." Aré stood up and folded the sketch in his hand and put it in his pocket. "I think I've decided. I'm going now. Did you want to go now or did you want to have some time to actually think about it?"

"I have been thinking about it and decided it was something I wanted to do but I just hadn't gotten up the nerve to actually go through with it."

"And now you suddenly have that nerve?"

Bruce shrugged, "So long as you go with me."

Aré rolled his eyes, "You are a strange one. You're not afraid to go out and get yourself not just shot at but shot and you're afraid of going and have someone repeatedly stick a needle in you." He headed out of the room, "Come on, I'm driving." Bruce followed him and together the two went to get themselves inked.

* * *

Once at the tattoo parlor Aré didn't have any hesitation with giving the artist his design and telling the man where he wanted it at. At first the artist was a bit confused, "You already have a tattoo there." He said, referring to the spot on the lower right side of Aré's back that had five Japanese symbols on it.

"I know but I want them covered up. The design I have should do just that." Aré replied.

With a shrug the artist had Aré lie down on his stomach and began the process of giving Aré a new tattoo.

Another artist had taken Bruce aside and was prepping him for a tattoo of his own. He was having it placed in the same spot on him that Aré was having done. It wasn't like anyone was going to see it unless he went out shirtless and, well, he wasn't sure how often that was going to happen anymore. What with all of the bruises he was getting lately. The only reason they couldn't be seen now was because before they had entered the parlor Aré had placed a spell over them so they couldn't be seen.

"You're absolutely sure this is what you want?" The artist that was going to do Bruce's tattoo asked.

Bruce nodded, "I'm sure."

"Okay, because once I start this stuff isn't coming off." When the artist was sure that Bruce's decision was final he began the work of putting the tattoo on Bruce's body.

The process of getting a tattoo hurt but not as much as Bruce had initially thought it would. He relaxed and let the artist do his work and listened to the conversation going on between Aré and the artist that was putting the bat on Aré's back.

Later that day they left the parlor with instructions on how to take care of their new tattoos and returned to the manor. Bruce hadn't been able to completely sit back against the car seat on the ride home. His back was more tender than he had planned it to be. "That wasn't so bad was it?" Aré asked as they drove home.

"No, but I don't think I'm going to show it to Alfred anytime soon.

"Good idea. You might not live to see the end of your birthday otherwise."

Bruce laughed then changed the subject. "Why did you have your previous tattoo covered up?" He asked, his curiosity having gotten the better of him.

"I've had it since shortly after I was born. I thought it was time for a change." Aré replied. They pulled into the manor and went inside the large house. "I'm glad you like your birthday present because that one's not coming off." Once inside Aré started for the drawing room he had set up to work on his newest comic. He stopped after about ten feet and turned back to face Bruce. "I have to ask, why that symbol? Why would you want 'oni' permanently on your body?"

"Besides it being fitting for my night personality?" Bruce shrugged. "You're really the only blood relative I have. Yes I have my uncle and his children but I don't know them. I do know you though and, well," he shrugged again, "it's a way to mark my connection with my ancestors. It's a way to acknowledge you're family. What about you? Why the bat?"

"Same reason I guess. I can't claim you as my nephew. I can't claim any of my relatives. I'm not really even allowed to claim my Fae one either. My father and sister, much to the annoyance of the council, continue to claim me." A picture came to mind and he laughed. "You should have seen the looks on the Council member's faces when my father officially announced me as his heir. They had taken away my birthrights but my father gave them back when he was told to announce who would carry on the title of 'Crown Prince.' The Council wanted a full blood, my brother, to be the Crown Prince but my father said he wasn't going to take my birthright away from me. It didn't matter really; it's more than just a title. Even if Nakumaru had been named as the Crown Prince he wouldn't have been given the powers the Crown Prince is born with. Those powers will always belong to me. If I was ever to have a child they would inherit those powers also." Aré realized that had nothing to do with what Bruce had just asked him. "Like you said, it just seemed fitting. You're not the only creature of the night Bruce." He turned away, "I've got a deadline to beat. If not my publisher is going to kill me. Have fun scaring people shitless tonight and don't let anyone hit you in the back."

Bruce shook his head and went to put some ice on his birthday present. Aré had just told him to have fun that night. Maybe he was starting to lighten up about Bruce going out on patrols? Probably not though, considering Aré had only yesterday hidden his suit on him again. It was always in the same spot but Bruce understood the message. He also only let it stay "hidden" for about a day before he went down to get it. He hadn't been shot again since that first night out. At least Aré was starting to trust that Bruce would take care of himself while on patrol. Bruce was always careful but he knew that if he ever got into trouble that Aré would help him if he needed it.


	13. Thirteen: Not Close Enough

**Chapter Thirteen: Not Close Enough**

**Now**

"So you…. And the old man…… Are related?" Terry asked once Aré had finished his tale. "Wow I really didn't see that one coming." He was sitting on the couch in Clark's living room with his arms resting on his knees. Sometime during his story Aré had moved back over to the window and leaned against the sill.

"I wouldn't have expected you to. We don't look very much alike." Aré said. "But that's why my brother has been trying to kill Bruce. Granted I have various other nieces and nephews around the world but Bruce is the only one I've really gotten to know. I practically helped raise him. The others know about me but it's like going to a family reunion. You know your immediate family but the fifty other people might as well be strangers." He shrugged.

"So now that the kid knows the why what do we do?" Dick asked. "You two found Powers, we should go and get him. If your brother is there this would be your chance to get him too."

"I know but even if I did get Naku I wouldn't know what to do with him." Aré sighed. "All right, we'll go back and see what we can find. If they didn't see you then they might still be down at the docks."

Terry stood and grabbed his cowl. "You want me to drive or are you going to fly?"

"I'll fly. You can carry Dick."

"Gee thanks. I get stuffed in the tiny car." Dick grumbled.

"Never used to bother you before."

"That's because the last car actually _had_ a passenger seat. The one he has now was not built for passengers."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Everyone left the apartment and headed back down for the docks. Superman and Batman led Dick and Aré to the yacht they had found Powers and Naku in. Not surprising to any of them there was no one there. They looked around the yacht for any clues that would be helpful. "Naku's only been gone for a little while. I might still be able to track his scent." Aré said.

"Track his sent?" Batman asked. "What are you now, a bloodhound?"

"Sorry, I guess there's still a lot about me and my kind you don't know. The Fae have heightened senses. Take the normal five senses of a human and magnify them nearly a five hundred fold. Everyone has a unique sent and by knowing who a scent belongs to I can track them. Take you and B. for example. You both have a damp earthy sent. You two have got to stop hanging out in those caves." He moved around the room, "Another reason it's so easy for Fae to track each other is not only can we sense each other's magic we can smell it as well."

"That's awkward." Batman said.

Aré smiled. "Just another part of what I am kid." He wandered around the room looking for anything that could lead him to Powers and his brother. The others were looking around also, looking for extra clues that could put Powers away for good.

Dick was the first to see Aré leave the lower decks of the yacht. "Where are you going?" He asked, following after.

"I'm going to see where the trail leads." Aré replied then left the yacht entirely as he chased after his brothers trail.

"Shouldn't we follow him?" Batman asked.

Superman and Dick left with Batman and together the three began to follow after Aré. Superman had forgotten just how fast the Fae Prince was as by the time they started after him Aré was already half way across the city. "I hate it when he does that." Superman said. He was thankful for his abilities, as he was able to track Aré, though not entirely easily.

When they finally caught up to Aré they found him in a large apartment. He'd followed the trail as far as he could. The apartment was empty now and he had no more clues as to Naku's location. "Dead end." Dick said. They searched once again for any clues but came up with nothing. He noticed the look on Aré's face and asked, "What's wrong?"

The look on Aré's face was like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "I'm picking up another sent. It doesn't belong to Paxton or Naku. It's tangy, almost like….." He trailed off as the thought of the right word to use, "Uranium."

"Radioactivity?" Superman asked.

"Yeah, though I don't know why there would be anything radioactive here?"

"Wait," Batman asked, "you're saying that a _person_ smells like uranium?" Aré nodded. Batman's hands balled into fists and his voice turned into a growl as he said, "Blight."

* * *

Derek Powers, a.k.a. Blight, sat beside his tumbling son and the young man who had saved him as they made their way towards Gotham City. The look that had crossed Paxton's face upon seeing his father alive had been a sight to see. Paxton hadn't been able to string two words together since. Derek did his best not to lash out at his son. He knew that while he may be powerful the young man sitting across from him could destroy him quite easily if he wanted to.

"When we reach Gotham you will seek out the ones called Inque, Shriek and Spellbinder." Nakumaru instructed. "If they are within your mortal prisons release them. Then you will begin to gather the equipment we are going to need."

"What equipment?" Paxton finally asked.

"Just a pet project we are working on." Naku said. "Your father will provide the power source, Shriek and Spellbinder the technological expertise and Inque will provide us with the parts we need."

"What's in it for me?"

Naku glared at the other man. He dare ask for something in return after he has so thoroughly screwed up. "You may keep your life." He replied. "After your failure be thankful I allow you that."

Derek Powers turned his gaze out of the vehicle. This boy should be taking orders from _him_, not the other way around. However, if this was how it had to be to obtain his goal then so be it. Soon things would start going their way.

* * *

"Blight?" Aré asked, "Who the hell calls themselves Blight?"

"Derek Powers, after his 'accident.'" Batman said. "It left him highly radioactive. I was hoping that he had died when the nuclear sub blew up."

"I guess this means he's not." Aré said. "His scent and Naku's are pretty close together. I would wager a guess that they are working together also." He took one last look around the apartment. "But they're not here though and if they're smart they'll get out of town."

"Where would they go?" Dick asked.

Aré shrugged. "I don't know. Back to Gotham maybe? In either case we have lost them and have nothing else to go on. We've got two options, we can keep trying to chase them or we can go back to Gotham and wait for something to turn up."

"I'll have the League keep an eye out to see if anything turns up." Superman said.

"Thanks." Aré said. "Sorry to have wasted your time like this."

"You didn't waste our time."

"I sure feel like it." Aré sighed and moved towards the doors leading to the balcony. He tipped his head back towards Batman. "Let's go home."

* * *

Ace lifted his head up towards his master and whined. Bruce sat with his chin resting on his crossed fingers as he contemplated the recent news he had been given. He did not doubt Derek Powers was still alive especially since no body had been recovered. Terry had obviously not taken the news very well and had not quieted until Aré had threatened to sew the boys lips together. The two of them, along with Dick, were headed back to Gotham. While they'd been away he'd done some digging of his own, looking for anything relating to Nakumaru. He'd checked for any alias he could remember the man using but what had turned up had run dry years ago. It looked as though Naku had spent short periods of time living among mortals. That actually surprised him a bit, considering the man's distaste for mortals.

Bruce pulled up a comm. program that would allow him to speak with Aré without Terry hearing. He opened up a channel to Aré. "How are you doing?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Aré said. "You interrupted my enjoyment. Listening to Dick piss and moan about the car is quite entertaining." Bruce was able to faintly hear the sound of the wind as Aré flew. "I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what Naku's doing. He's known where I've been. If he really wants to he knows that I wouldn't fight him."

"That might be the reason right there. He wants you to fight him. Look at what he did all those years ago."

"He's my little brother Bruce. Everything else aside I can't forget that."

"Even after what he's done?"

"I don't care about that." Aré growled. "That was over forty years ago. Just…. I don't want to talk about this anymore." The comm. line went dead.

Bruce leaned back against his chair. The subject of Aré's brother was almost as painful to Aré as the subject of Bruce's parents was for him. While Aré didn't want to think about it, Bruce couldn't help but remember.


	14. Fourteen: Murder

**Chapter Fourteen: Murder**

**Then**

"You know, if I had known that you were going to be such a wonderful conversationalist I would have brought something to listen to while we waited." Robin said as he lay back against the ledge of the building he and Batman were currently standing on. "Or homework, God knows I've got more than enough of that."

Batman's lips twisted into a small grin. Dick was on spring break from college and while the boy could still be restless at times, like this one, he was glad to have him around. "I told you we would be working late."

"Yeah but you didn't say anything about having to fight boredom."

Batman put down his binoculars and turned to look at his partner. "You have been coming out with me for how many years? You can't have thought that this would have changed much."

"Well no but…." Robin sat up. "I thought this guy was supposed to show an hour ago."

"He was." Batman put the binoculars up to his face and peered though them to the building across the way. There was movement in the darkened room. "There, there's someone in there."

"Finally." Robin said, standing up and pulling out his grappling gun. Batman pulled out a grapple gun too and together the two of them swung over to the opposite building.

The office they entered was dark, not even the light from outside able to illuminate the room very much. There was a solitary figure sitting at the large desk and tapping out something on the keyboard in front of him. Batman and Robin circled the room and silently came up behind the unsuspecting man. Batman reached out to grab the man when he suddenly disappeared. Batman and Robin shared a look of confusion before a voice on the other side of the room drew their attention.

"For a man who is renowned for his talent at being silent you are actually quite loud. I heard you long before you entered the room."

"What reason do you have for breaking into Wayne Enterprises' computer records?" Robin asked.

The man shrugged, his shadow barely revealing the act. "I have my reasons. All good ones too." He took a step backwards. "Well since you have interrupted my fun for the night I believe it is time for me to depart." He held up a disc for the two men to see. "At least I was able to get what I was after. Until next time boy, and give the Prince my regards." The man then vanished right before their eyes.

"Prince?" Robin asked, his mind making the same connection as Batman's. "That man was…."

"Fae." Batman said. He had only encountered a total of three Fae in his life. He moved to the computer and accessed the last files that had been opened. Nothing of relevance to the company had been taken. Only one file had been accessed.

"What did he get?" Robin asked, peering over Batman's shoulder at the screen.

"Personal information."

"Who's?"

"Taji's."

* * *

The drive back to the manor wasn't quiet, like it normally was. "Why did you have Aré's information in the databanks?"

"He's a contact and beneficiary should anything happen to me. Much like you and Alfred are." Batman said.

"Oh." Robin said. "I hope you can make more sense out of what's going on than I am. I've got nothing." He turned in his seat to face Batman. "You and Aré are going to be at the fundraiser tomorrow aren't you?"

Batman nodded. "Yes and I'm going to call him later and tell him about the Fae back there. This is something I think he needs to know about."

"Have the police come up with any new leads for that string of murders I've heard about?" Robin asked, changing the subject.

Batman heaved a rare sigh. "Unfortunately no. The police know just about as much as I do, which is nothing. Gordon and I are both very frustrated by the lack of evidence. There hasn't been any physical evidence left by the killer. We are both beginning to believe the only way we are going to catch this man is by catching him in the act."

"None of the usual suspects?"

"Not at all. This doesn't even follow any of their M.O's. There doesn't seem to be any link between the victims at all."

"There has to be something." Robin said. He leaned back in his seat. "We'll find something, we always do."

"We?"

"Hey I get leads once in a while too you know."

Batman pulled the car into the cave and he and Robin both got out. This late at night he wasn't surprised that Alfred wasn't there to greet them. Batman pulled off his cowl. He wished he'd gotten a better look at the man in the office. While it was late he wasn't exactly ready to go to bed yet. He headed over to the computer to see if he couldn't figure more out on the murders.

"I'm going to bed." Dick said, rubbing his eyes. "Night."

"Night." Bruce replied. He opened a file that held all he knew about the murders and ran them through a program to see if it could find any connections he had missed. He closed his eyes as he let the program run and tried to figure out what was going on.

"One of these days you are going to fall out of that chair and crack your head open."

Bruce opened his eyes and turned to see Alfred standing beside him with a breakfast tray in hand. "What time is it?" Bruce asked.

"Just after eight o'clock." Alfred replied.

Bruce rubbed his eyes then stretched, popping joints as he did so. He saw the computer screen as he did so and saw the program he'd run hadn't been able to come up with anything new. He shut it down and turned to Alfred. "We met a Fae last night."

Alfred looked surprised. "Really? Not anyone we know is it?"

Bruce shook his head. "We only know three of them, remember?" He took the glass of juice off of the tray and downed it in one go.

"I would assume you plan to tell Master Aré about this?"

"Yes, though if I call him before nine he'll kill me." Bruce quickly ate the meal Alfred had brought him. "I wasn't able to get a good look at the man so I can't tell Aré what he looked like. When he broke into Wayne Enterprises the only thing he was after, apparently, was Aré's information."

"How would they obtain that? Aré's real name isn't used in the databanks."

"I know but whoever this was knew the name that Aré's using." He stood and together the two of them headed upstairs. "I'm going to have to talk to him about it. All I know is I'm getting a bad feeling about it. Thanks for the meal Alfred, it was great." With that he headed up to his room to shower and change for the day.

* * *

Later that afternoon Bruce met with Aré for lunch. He'd told him about what had happened the night before. They discussed the possibilities for the reason why the man had wanted his information but so far they'd come up blank on an actual valid reason. "And you didn't get a good look at him?" Aré asked.

Bruce shook his head. "No, it was too dark. He said to 'give the Prince my regards.' Whoever this is knows that I know you personally." In a low whisper he added, "Well as Batman anyway."

"In hindsight maybe my going out with you once in a while wasn't such a good idea."

"Too late now."

Aré let out a sigh and poked absently at his food. "So are we meeting early or are we just going to meet up at the University tonight?"

"I thought that I would meet you there." Bruce looked across the table at his uncle and really studied him. "Are you all right?"

Aré sighed again. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I keep having nightmares about the night Natsume died. I usually wake up at around three in the morning, the sheets in knots around me and about four feet away from the bed."

Bruce knew that 'four feet away from the bed' didn't mean having fallen off it, it meant floating over it. "How long has this been going on?"

"Long enough to start interfering with my work. My editor's not very happy with me at the moment."

"Have you talked to Mai about his?" Mai was a human woman who knew exactly who and what Aré was as they had met before Aré had left the island and her soul continually found his. In every new lifetime by the time she was fifteen all of her previous memories had surfaced. She also knew Bruce was Batman.

"No, though I did wake her up one time by crashing." Bruce chuckled at that. "But seriously, I mean, do I really look that bad?"

"You look like you trying harder than usual to keep the glamour up."

Aré rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That's because I am. After this fundraiser at the University tonight I think I'm going to take a vacation."

"That might not be a bad idea. It wouldn't do well to have you accidently slip."

"It's times like this that I wish I didn't have to do this."

"Go home after this." Bruce suggested. "Take a nap."

"I'm afraid to go to sleep." Aré said warily. "Every time I do the nightmare returns."

"Excuse me, Mr. Marin." Bruce and Aré turned to see a young girl standing shyly beside their table holding a book. "Um… Would you sign this?" She held out the book to Aré.

Aré smiled and took the book. "Sure, hey Bruce you got a pen?"

"Yeah," Bruce pulled out a pen and handed it to him, "here."

"Thanks." Aré opened the front cover. "Who am I writing this to?" He asked the girl.

"Rachel." She said.

"Rachel, pretty name." He wrote a small message and signed his name then handed the book back to Rachel. "There you go."

Rachel beamed. "Thank you." She said then headed back to where she had come from.

The two men turned back to each other. "Maybe I'll take your advice and try and get a nap in." Aré pulled out his wallet and put enough money on the table to pay for his meal and a tip then stood. "I'll see you tonight then."

Bruce nodded. "Try and get some sleep." Aré waved and headed home. Bruce paid for his meal then returned to Wayne Enterprises.

* * *

Gotham University was hosting a fundraiser for under privileged young men and women to help pay for their higher education. Many of Gotham's elite had shown, many simply for the P.R, while many others were there for the cause. Bruce had arrived fashionably late and had cameras all over him the moment he had arrived. After getting away from them he sought out Aré. He found him in the back of the large room with a young woman with long red hair and green eyes standing beside him. She smiled when she saw him. "Bruce so good to see you again."

"Hello Mai." He said sending her a smile of his own. He looked at Aré and saw that not much had changed since that afternoon. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A whole five minutes." Aré said sarcastically.

Mai turned to him. "Would you go get me something to drink? I don't want to fight the crowd."

"Sure." Aré said and headed off to get the requested beverage.

Once he was out of earshot Mai turned back to Bruce, her expression worried. "I'm worried about him." She said. "He hasn't slept for more than an hour a night for the past four weeks. I usually find him sitting in the window staring out at the sky. I'm afraid something is going to happen to him if he doesn't sleep soon. Is there anything you can do for him?"

Bruce hadn't realized it was that bad. "Any outbursts?" He asked.

Mai shook her head. "Once, he hasn't tried to sleep in our bed since. He's afraid I'm going to get hurt."

Aré returned then. "You two must be talking about me." He handed Mai her drink. "My ears are ringing."

"I was just telling Bruce how worried I am about you."

Aré tried to protest, "Mai—"

"If you don't get some sleep soon your body is going to just give out on you. What do you think would happen if that were to happen in public?"

With Aré being as exhausted as he was he'd most likely lose his glamour. "What do you want me to do? It's not like I can go see a doctor or anything."

"What about sleeping pills? Never mind," She said to his look, "your body would metabolize it too fast. I know that you have more endurance than other people but even you can't run on empty forever." Aré knew it was pointless to argue, especially since he agreed but sleeping was the last thing he wanted to do. "You've made your appearance, we're going home."

"We just got here Mai." Aré said. "No, you stay."

"You are not driving home."

"Alfred can take him." Bruce suggested.

"No, that's all right. I'll call a cab." He said. "I'll go home and try some warm milk or something, okay?"

Mai huffed and he kissed her forehead. "Stop worrying, both of you." He said, looking back and forth between the two. He gave Mai one last kiss then left the party.

"Stop worrying he says." Mai said once Aré left. "Did he forget who he was talking to?"

"I'll check on him later tonight." Bruce said. "And if he's not asleep when I do I'll make sure he is before I leave."

"Thank you Bruce."

Bruce nodded, he too was just as worried as Mai was about Aré. The two went back to the party and tried to enjoy themselves though neither of them could turn their attention fully to the party.

* * *

His head was killing him. He opened his eyes to find himself someplace very dark. He didn't remember returning home but he must have. He sat up and his head spun. There was something hard and something sticky on his hands. His clothes felt matted to his skin. With a groan he wiped his eyes and felt whatever it was that was on his hands smear across his face. Aré carefully stood up and took a moment to try to get his head to stop spinning.

Lights coming in from the window flashed red and blue and giving a little light to the room. The lights were stationary which told him that the police were nearby; something must be going down. He took a step towards what appeared to be the front of the room only to trip over something. He landed letting out a grunt as he did so. What the hell had he just tripped over? The sound of running feet caught his attention next. He looked up just as the door burst open and armed men rushed in. The light from the hallway hurt his eyes but finally allowed him to view his surroundings. He looked back at what he had tripped over.

It was a man sprawled out on his back, his eyes open and his mouth opened as if to scream. He was covered in blood from the stab wounds that littered his body and the slit in his throat. Aré then realized that while he was unhurt he was covered from head to toe in the man's blood; a large knife lying not too far from either of them. Bile rose up into his throat as he scrambled back from the dead man. The words from the police around him didn't register, only the dead man and the blood that covered him registered in Aré's mind. It wasn't long before his stunned mind started moving and allowing him one reaction; he screamed.

* * *

"We found him next to the body covered in blood. What more evidence do we need?" Harvey Bullock asked Jim Gordon as they headed for the interrogation room.

"Motive for one." Gordon said. "So far we don't have one. We have no way of linking the two of them together. As far as we can tell Marin and Josephs never knew each other." He left Bullock in the hallway as he entered the interrogation room. _Besides, there's just something not right about all this. _He found Aré sitting with one leg bend up on the chair with his arms wrapped around it and his forehead resting on his knee. He looked up at the sound of Gordon entering, his eyes revealing every emotion he was experiencing. Gordon set two glasses of coffee on the table and sat across from Aré.

Aré simply looked at the cup before him. "Thanks but I don't drink coffee."

Gordon nodded, "I'll ask them to bring water then." He opened the folder he'd brought with him. "What were you doing at Mr. Josephs' office tonight?"

"I don't know." Aré said. "I swear the last thing I remember is getting into a taxi to go home and the next thing I know I'm waking up next to…." He trailed off and put his head back on his knee.

"You remember nothing of how you got to Mr. Josephs' office?"

"No."

"Unfortunately I'm going to need a better answer than that. Right now you are looking at murder one. A life sentence at the minimum and lethal injection at the max."

Aré cast frightened eyes on Gordon. He put his leg down and leaned towards the other man. "I can't go to jail." He said, his voice trembling.

"I have no control over that. Right now you are about to be indicted for murder."

Aré reached out but stopped short of touching Gordon and placed his hand on the table. He looked at him pleadingly. "You don't understand. I'm not…" He glanced at the tape recorder on the table and then for some reason unexplained to Gordon the device suddenly stopped. "I'm not what you think I am." Aré whispered. "Talk to Batman, tell him…. Tell him that Aré said to tell you everything."

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "Aré?" He asked.

Aré pulled his hand back curled in on himself again. "Please, that's all I ask."

Gordon realized he wasn't going to get anything else out of Taji. He stood and left the room wondering what it was Taji had been so worried about. He headed up to the roof knowing that news of the recent murder would have gotten to Batman's ears. He didn't have to wait long on the roof before he appeared.

"I heard about the murder," Batman began, "and that you have a suspect in custody."

"We do. The thing of it is I know the kid and he's never come around as the type to do something like this. Though if there's one thing I've learned in this business is that some killers can hide their true self well."

Batman knew that all too well too. "Who is it?"

"Taji Marin." Gordon caught the flash of surprise that crossed Batman's face. "The boy is terrified and he asked me to give you a message. He said to tell you that Aré said to tell me everything."

Batman couldn't believe that. And how much of _everything_ was Aré talking about? Aré was right to be afraid, if he ended up in jail for life people would start to notice something was wrong with him after a few years. "He didn't do it." Batman said with conviction.

"I take it you know him personally."

"Yes, I do. Aré is his real name. He had to change it about twenty years ago."

"Why? What did he do?"

"Nothing Jim. He had to change it because he had to move on. He's immortal, he doesn't age. If he goes to jail someone is going to notice that."

"Immortal?" Gordon asked. He threw his hands up in defeat. "Why can't we ever arrest anyone normal?"

Batman moved closer to Gordon. "I want to talk to him."

"Maybe he'll tell you more than he's told me."

"Maybe." Was this what that bad feeling from earlier was trying to warn him about? "How did you find him?"

"On the floor of the office beside Josephs. When we first entered he didn't appear to know where he was. Then the screaming started, he was hysterical. It took us almost twenty minutes to calm him down."

"Nothing else happened?" Gordon's confused look gave Batman a small bit of relief. At least Aré hadn't used his powers during his hysteria. "I'll explain later."

The two left the roof and headed down to where Aré was being held. He'd been moved from the interrogation room and put into a single holding cell. He was the only one occupying the section of the area that he was in. When they got to his cell they found him sitting curled up in one corner of the cell. He looked up when the door was opened. Batman had to force himself not to react to the look on his face. He'd never seen Aré with such a vulnerable expression and it scared him. "B?"

Batman moved further into the cell and knelt down in front of Aré. "What happened?" He asked.

"I don't know." Aré said. "I don't remember anything except waking up and….. There was so much blood." His voice trembled and he was doing his best to keep himself under control. "They wouldn't let me wash it off." Batman could see the faded stains from where the blood had covered Aré. A sob escaped Aré and when he looked back up at Batman his anguish could plainly be seen and unshed tears glistened his eyes. "Gods what if I did do it? What if I killed that man?"

"You didn't."

"You don't know that!" Aré cried. "I don't even know that!" He pushed himself into a standing position. He saw Gordon standing silently by the cell entrance. "Did you tell him?"

"I told him enough." Batman said.

"And how much was that? I said to tell him everything. Including what I'm capable of."

That caught Gordon's attention. "He told me about your immortality. That's it." Gordon said.

"So he didn't tell you that I was born a monster then?"

"That's because you're _not!_" Batman growled.

"You don't scare me B." Aré said. "What scares me is not knowing. I have no memory past leaving the fundraiser tonight. What if I did do it but forgot because realizing what I had done was too painful?"

It wasn't unheard of for some criminals to forget their crimes, unusual but not unheard of. "You can't forget something you didn't do."

"The problem is we can't say that…. For…. Sure…" Aré's body suddenly gave out on him and he slumped back to the ground. Batman and Gordon watched as the glamour vanished. His emotional turmoil coupled with his physical exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

"My God." Gordon said upon seeing Aré's true appearance. Over the years Aré had subtlety changed the glamour to give off the effect of aging. The man on the floor barely looked older than his daughter. "How old is he?" Gordon asked.

Batman lifted Aré off the floor and placed him on the cot. "Over four hundred."

Gordon whistled. "I will see what I can do for him but right now it isn't looking good."

The two walked out of the cell. "I am going to see if I can't locate the real killer." He stopped before they left the detention area. "If worst comes to worst he may just leave. If he really wanted to he could make it so he is never found."

"Do I have to worry about him being a flight risk?"

"Right now, no. If you can, try to avoid any blood or DNA tests. With the state that he is in now I am not sure what he would do to protect himself. Unfortunately his unconscious defense mechanism can be quite deadly."

"I'll try to stall. I don't know how long I'll be able to do that. Whatever you plan to do you should do it quick."

After the two left the area Batman left to work on his own investigation and Gordon ordered that he was the only one to go near inmate Marin. His reasoning to his men being he didn't want anyone trying anything to provoke Marin. He sat at his desk going over what he had just learned about Aré. _You better find something soon kid._ Gordon thought. _If not I hope you can handle the fallout._

* * *

Aré awoke late the next afternoon feeling more rested than he had over the past four weeks. When he'd opened his eyes and saw the cell that he was in he realized that what had happened the night before had not been a dream. The sound of the door opening drew his attention and he saw Gordon come in with a tray of food. "Finally awake." Gordon said.

Aré sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Awhile." He set the tray down beside Aré. "I've kept others out of here while you slept. I didn't think you wanted anyone to see you looking like that."

Aré looked confused for only a moment before his eyes went wide and his gaze shot towards the mirror and he saw that his glamour had fallen. He quickly put it back in place. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." He picked up a roll from the tray and began to pick at it, eating small pieces.

"Batman is quite adamant that you didn't commit the murder."

"I hope he's right."

Gordon left the cell for only a moment and when he came back he had a case with him. "I have tried to stall to give Batman time but you are being arraigned in an hour. You should eat and get changed."

Aré nodded and quickly ate his meal and changed like he'd been told to. An hour later he found himself in front of a judge with a lawyer at his side. He'd told his attorney everything that he knew and pled not guilty. Miraculously he'd been granted bail and given over to Bruce Wayne's custody. When he left the courthouse he was met by Bruce and the two of them ran from the courthouse to the waiting Bentley. Aré would stay at Wayne Manor until his trial began.

Mai and Dick greeted him as soon as he entered the manor. Mai ran over to him and hugged him tight. "Bruce told us what happened last night." She said. "I knew we should have gone home together."

"It's a good thing we didn't." Aré said. "I could have killed you too." Now he was speaking as if he really had committed the crime. He pulled out of Mai's embrace. "If it's all the same to you I'm going to go upstairs and see if I can't get some sleep. All of this has worn me out." He left them for his old room before anyone had a chance to answer.

"We'll find something." Dick said and put a reassuring hand on Mai's shoulder.

"He's right." Bruce said. "I think this has something to do with that Fae we met the other night. This is too coincidental for it to be otherwise." He headed with them towards the cave. "First the Fae is looking for Aré's information and now Aré's suspected of murder. I know many on the High Council don't like him but I never would have had expected them to go this far."

"They murdered his mother what's to stop them from doing something like this?" Dick said.

"Kane for one." Said Mai. "And the Gods of Gaia." She stopped when they reached the cave entrance. "I know that he's not going to want company but I'm going to stay around here to keep an eye on him while you two do your thing. Good luck."

Bruce nodded and he and Dick headed downstairs to change before they went out for some investigating of their own.

* * *

Batman and Robin's first stop was the murder scene where Aré and Josephs had been found. The area had been cleaned up but there was still police tape across the office door. They ducked under that and each pulled out a small flashlight and began to look around the room, hoping to find evidence the police missed. Blood still stained the floor but it had dried by now.

They crept around the room and during their search Robin found something very interesting. He found a hidden, hidden surveillance tape. He stopped the tape and rewound it then set it back to play. "Batman, take a look at this."

Batman came over and the two watched what had happened during the murder. Both men were pleased by what had been found. "We need to get our hands on that knife." Batman said. "And turn this over to Gordon. Then," he pointed to the still figures on the screen, "we need to find these men."

* * *

_"Can I help you?" The man looked up from his desk at whoever had entered his office._

_"Not really." The other man replies. "But I was in the neighborhood and I needed something to do."_

_"Right." The man behind the desk, Robert Josephs the nameplate said, looked skeptical. "If you don't have an appointment then you'll have to schedule one." _

_"Oh I'm not here for your services." The man says. He pulls out a long sharp knife and twirls it around. "I'm here for something else."_

_Josephs' expression changes to one of fear. "What do you want?"_

_A feral smile crossed the man's lips. "I want you to scream."_

_Josephs only made it a few steps before the other man attacked. His screams echoed throughout the room and his blood covered everything._

* * *

"NAI!" [No!] Aré awoke with a start, his own scream dying on his lips. He turned towards the door when he heard running steps coming towards it and the door flew open to reveal Mai and Batman. It was when he looked down at them that he realized he was floating over the bed. He dropped down onto the bed, the images from the dream replaying over and over in his mind. Mai ran over to him, "It's okay. You're safe, it was just a dream."

Something crossed over Aré's face and he raced from the bed to the bathroom. He barely made it before the meager contents of his stomach made a reappearance. He felt someone rubbing his back. He was shaking. "I did it." His voice shook as he spoke. He turned back to look at the two of them, tears streaming down his face. "I saw myself kill that man. And I enjoyed it."

Batman pulled his cowl off and knelt down beside them. "It wasn't you."

"Yes it was!" Aré yelled. "I saw it."

"It's a lie." Bruce grabbed Aré by his shoulders. "You've been set up. I was able to get surveillance from the office. Whoever this Fae is didn't know about the extra surveillance and he was caught on tape."

Aré looked confused. "Really? You mean…. But why…." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You can't exactly exonerate me like this. The only thing anyone is going to know is that I killed that man."

"No, this tape shows everything, the Fae, the real murderer and them dragging you into the room." Aré just continued to look disbelieving. "Gordon's ordered a rush on testing of the knife. The preliminary tests didn't have your prints on it at all."

"Do you have a copy of this tape?" Aré asked.

Bruce nodded. "Down in the cave."

Aré stood and rinsed his mouth. "I want to see it." He said.

Bruce nodded and the three of them headed down into the cave where they found Dick sitting at the computer going over the footage. He turned around to face them when they came down. "I've gone over this tape three times and I can't find anything to make anyone think it's a fake." Dick said. He smiled at Aré, "Looks like you're off the hook."

"We'll see." Aré said. The current image on the screen was paused at just before the murder entered the room, Josephs could be seen at his desk getting ready to go home for the night. "Play it."

Dick shot a glance at Bruce but did as Aré requested. The tape started playing and the real killer entered the room. Everything played out on the tape the exact same way as it had in Aré's dream. Aré suffered through it and waited for the other man to enter the area. When he did Aré's eyes went wide and a look of horror crossed his features. "No, not him. Anyone but him." Aré cried.

"Who is he?" Dick asked.

The footage was paused again this time after the killer had dragged Aré into the room and the two had set up the scene to appear as if Aré had been the killer. Aré sighed in defeat and sat on the cave floor. "He's my brother."

**A/N:** That's it for now. I've always pegged Gordon as knowing more than he's let on which is why Aré felt that he could trust him with his secret. Besides as can be seen in Return of the Joker (Return of the Jedi anyone? Sorry :-P ) he obviously knows everything. So anyway, don't forget that review. Thanks!


	15. Fifteen: Denial

**Chapter Fifteen: Denial**

**Now**

Terry, Dick and Aré returned to Wayne Manor late Sunday night. The realization that Naku was back and once again trying to harm his brother had hit Aré hard. He hadn't wanted to think about what the repercussions of that would be. He'd exchanged a glance with Bruce upon returning but hadn't said a word to the man since hanging up on him hours earlier. Bruce was the one to break the silence. "We need to talk."

"Not now." Aré said. "If you need me I'll be upstairs." Aré then left them.

"He's been in a bad mood for hours." Terry said, pulling off the cowl. "Now I know where you get your moodiness from."

"Must be genetic." Dick said. He turned to Bruce. "Been a while old man."

Bruce nodded. "It has." A tiny smile formed on Bruce's lips. "It's good to see you Dick."

"Yeah, you too. Even if you are still a pain."

"Some things never change."

"Tell me about it." Dick took a look around the cave. "You haven't changed the décor very much either." He shrugged. "I like it." He caught the display that held his old suits before turning back to face Bruce. "So what all do we have going on? Besides the fact that Nakumaru is helping Powers? Do we know what they're planning?"

"No." Bruce said. "Unfortunately there hasn't been any indication as to what it is they are planning to do. Aside from each of them wanting me dead for various reasons."

"Who doesn't want you dead?" Dick quipped.

"We lost their trail in Metropolis." Terry said. "There's just wasn't anything else to go on. We know Blight is still alive. Is there any way to find him?"

"I have been scanning for radiation but so far nothing. Whatever method Derek Powers is using to hide his radiation signature he's doing it well. There hasn't been as much as a blip on the scanner."

"I hate to be the one to bring this up but what if we're tracking the wrong person?" Dick asked. "We know Aré would be able to track his brother if he really wanted to. If we find Naku we find the others, right?"

Bruce looked up towards where Aré had disappeared. "Do you want to be the one to suggest that to him? If you are," Bruce shrugged, "your funeral."

"What's the deal between Aré and Naku?" Terry asked. "I know there's obviously history between the two and that Naku doesn't like Aré but what's the reason? There has to be one."

Dick looked at Bruce with a raised eyebrow. "You know Terry, I would too. You guys never told me exactly what all of that was back then. Once we proved he hadn't committed the murder he basically told us to drop it. This is just a guess but you know the whole story, right?"

Bruce nodded, "I do. But it's not mine to tell. If you want to know you should ask Aré." He went back and sat at the computer and began running searches of his own for the locations of the fugitives."

"I have to go." Terry said. "I think my mom would like to see me at least once this weekend." He went and changed into normal clothing. "If Aré wants to keep up appearances he's going to have to show up at school. I'll see if I can't talk to him then." After he'd changed Terry left for the night.

Dick pulled up a chair and sat next to Bruce at the computer. "So, where does that leave us?"

"With a long night." Bruce said.

Dick smiled to himself, surprisingly glad to be doing something just like old times.

* * *

The next day Terry had gone to school and during a moment of free time had told Max all about what had happened over the weekend. During class Aré had sat in the back and kept quiet. Terry could see the effect that the weekend was having on him. He wanted to have a few minutes to talk to Aré privately but whenever Terry tried Aré just ignored him. By lunch Terry was fed up with his attitude.

Once Terry had gotten his meal he went straight over to the table Aré was sitting at and sat down across from him. "We need to talk." Terry said.

Aré put his fork down and looked up from his food to Terry. "What about?"

"This attitude of yours for one." Aré's eyebrow twitched. "And I'd like to know what the deal is between you and your brother."

Aré sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Tough." Terry stabbed a piece of food and shoved it into his mouth.

"You don't need to worry about fighting my brother. I'm working on it."

"You're doing a great job." Terry said sarcastically.

Now Aré glared. "You have _no_ idea what any of these problems are and you don't know my brother. Don't you dare pass judgment on something you have no understanding of."

"Then why don't you enlighten me?"

"Fine, but not here." Aré said. "I'll tell you after school." They dropped the subject when Max and Dana came to sit with them. He threw on a smile for them. "How was your weekend?" He asked them.

"Good." Dana answered. "Yours?"

"Interesting."

"I bet." Max said.

Aré stuck his tongue out at her. For the moment it looked as though he was going to forget the troubles the weekend had brought. Terry was glad to see that.

"It doesn't look like the flood of swooning girls has quit." Dana observed catching sight of all of the girls who kept sending flirting looks at Aré.

"He's new and this is only his second day." Max said. "Just be thankful that you didn't hear what Chelsea and Blade were planning for him. It would make just about anyone blush."

Aré's eyebrows shot up. "They aren't going to like it when they find out that I'm not going to date either of them. I'm not exactly looking for—"

"Hi." The four turned to see the red haired green-eyed girl who was standing beside the table holding a tray. "I'm Mai Takani." She said to Aré. "I was going to introduce myself on Thursday but I didn't get the chance.

"Hi." Aré said looking at the girl with something close to shock.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Aré scooted over and motioned for her to join them. "Sorry," he apologized, "it's just that you reminded me of someone I used to know. For a second I thought you were her."

She smiled. "That's all right." A faint blush crept onto her cheeks. "You don't mind me sitting here do you? If you want I can find some other place to sit."

Now Aré's smile was genuine. "Not at all. I guess you already know this but I'm Aré. It's a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

Klaxons blared and the security force did its best to quell the escape attempt currently in progress. Ira Billings, A.K.A. Spellbinder, was doing everything possible to avoid the police chasing him. He'd eluded them so far but he really didn't want to test his luck. He poked his head around the corner and when he saw that the way was clear he ran down the hallway and out of the emergency exit. He ran full tilt towards a waiting vehicle. Quickly he got inside and turned to the driver. Paxton was in the driver's seat and gunned the engine as soon as the door was closed.

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything, I am glad to be out of prison," Spellbinder changed out of prison orange and into something less conspicuous, "but do you mind telling me what all of this is about?"

"Your services are needed." Paxton said.

"By whom?"

"You'll see." The ride lasted about forty-five minutes and when they finally parked they were in an old industrial district of the city. Paxton led Spellbinder into the building where his father, Naku, Inque and Shriek had already gathered.

"So glad you could all make it." Naku said. "Your introductions to each other isn't necessary but I am Nakumaru Enzeru, your new employer."

"What is it that you're employing us to do exactly?" Inque asked.

"Well, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to take care of the Batman before he becomes a problem for you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about killing Batman before he can become Batman. If you can accomplish that then all of your problems will be solved."

The others in the room looked at Naku like he was crazy. "It's a little late for that." Shriek said.

"Not exactly." Naku replied. "There is a way to do it. You just have to kill the original Batman before the one that's around now has any chance of coming about."

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that?"

Naku smiled. "Simple. You go back in time."

"Time travel?" Spellbinder asked incredulously. "You expect us to believe that time travel exists?"

"It exists, I can assure you." Naku hopped off the table he'd been sitting on and walked towards them. "All you need to do is acquire the necessary parts, get enough power and it is possible. That's why I have gathered you all here. I have my own reasons for wanting to go back in time but unfortunately I cannot do it without help, as I do not technically have the authority to do so. However I have found a loophole for that problem. If you can collect all of the parts for the device we are going to build then all of our problems will be solved."

The others all shared looks with each other. Blight had known there was a device that was going to be built but he hadn't known the exact nature of the device until now. "That's why you wanted my power." He said.

Naku shrugged, "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not so long as I get to go back with you."

"You will. Now," he turned back to the rest of them, "here's what you are going to do."

* * *

Later that afternoon after school had gotten out Terry had intended to seek Aré out and continue their discussion from lunch but Aré couldn't be found and he'd been met by Bruce and Dick outside of the school. The three of them were to run some errands before returning to the manor. Bruce filled Terry in on the prison escape and a sudden spring of robberies that had happened while he'd been in school. Barbara was currently processing the scene of the last robbery. "Inque appears to be the one committing the robberies. High tech machinery has been stolen. So far I haven't had the chance to go over exactly what was stolen and what it could be used for."

"You want me to check it out tonight." Terry said as they returned to the manor.

"Yes." Bruce said.

As soon as they pulled up the driveway the three occupants realized that something was very off. The front doors to the manor were open and just about every window that could be opened was and loud music was playing. A red truck with the tailgate down was parked out front. The sun shown down and the manor looked more alive than it had in years.

Dick looked confused and pretended to look around at his surroundings. "Did I get the wrong address because this sure as hell isn't your place?" He said to Bruce.

Bruce got out of the car, followed by Dick and Terry, and together the three entered the manor. Terry was surprised to see Mai from lunch heading down the hallway carrying a box. She smiled when she saw them. "Hi," she said and walked into the living area.

Bruce wasn't sure how many more surprises he could take before he snapped. Aré had been enough. An annoyed expression was on his face and he followed her into the living area. Behind him Terry spoke, "What are you doing here Mai?" They turned the corner, "Whoa."

"Step on the floor and I'll kill every one of you." Aré said. He was floating up towards the ceiling and looked to be wiping down the ceiling fan. All of the furniture had been pushed to one side of the room and the floor shined with new wax. Mai walked barefoot across the floor and set the box down on one of the tables on the other side of the room.

"What do you think you are doing?" Bruce asked.

"Giving this place a little life." Mai said, "I don't remember this place ever being so dark."

"And I recruited her to help." Aré spun around to face them. "You got a problem with that?"

"I would have liked if you had asked before you redecorated."

"I'm not redecorating." Aré said, lowering to the ground. "I'm lightening up. Mai was more than willing to help."

"Well your uncle and I had a lot of catching up to do too." Mai said to Bruce.

"You two just met." Terry said. "At lunch. How come she already knows about you?"

Mai looked at Aré. "You haven't told him yet?"

Aré laughed. "There's a lot I haven't told him yet."

"Mai is a reincarnated soul." Dick explained. "She remembers all of her previous lives when she's around fifteen. They continue to find each other in every life. Well, almost every life."

"Huh?"

"Even though she's just a kid now—"

"Hey!"

"-she's the same Mai that we knew over fifty years ago."

"So you're immortal too." Terry asked.

"By default I guess." Mai said. "I die but it is only for a few years before I am reborn again. The last time was the longest period between lives I've ever had."

"Mai's my soul mate." Aré explained. "We're just waiting for the time that she'll be born into or an immortal or I die, whichever comes first."

"You had no idea what you were getting yourself into when you took this gig did you Terry?" Aré asked.

"Nothing like this." Terry replied.

Mai went over to the box and opened it and pulled out some old photos. "Where should we put this?" She asked, turning the one frame towards them to see.

"Wow, I haven't seen that in years." Dick said. The photo showed all of them, many years ago, on a day they had been laughing and joking. It had been during a surprise party for Bruce. What had been the biggest surprise was that he hadn't figured it out.

"When was that taken?" Terry asked, looking at the photo.

"Bruce's thirty second birthday." She replied. "It was a surprise party."

"And he never figured it out." Aré said.

Bruce moved over and took the picture from Mai. He sent a glare at Aré who didn't even flinch. He took one last glance at the photo before putting it down and heading for the cave. "I don't care what you do up here but we've got work to do."

"Floor!" Aré yelled. Bruce ignored him and continued down into the cave. Terry and Dick glanced once at Aré before following Bruce into the cave.

"The floor has been dry for an hour now." Mai said.

"I know." Aré began moving furniture back into place. "I just wish he'd drop this case. Get a life."

"We both know he's not going to stop."

Aré sighed. "I know. I just don't want a repeat of what happened before."

Mai took his hand and led him over to the couch and sat down. "There's more going on than just a repeat of the past. I know you well enough to know when something is bothering you. You're hurting yourself by keeping all of this in." She took his face in her hands and turned it towards her. "Tell me what happened while you were gone." Aré's eyes were filled with pain but he finally began to tell the whole story of when he'd been king.

* * *

The music wasn't nearly as loud from down in the cave. Bruce sat at the computer, once again, with Dick and Terry behind him as he went over all of the items that had been stolen. At first glance there didn't appear to be any connection between the items. The items stolen appeared almost at random. Dick moved to another terminal and scanned through some of the other items. "Whatever these are supposed to do they're going to require a lot of power to make whatever they plan on building run." He said.

"That would explain why Naku is keeping Derek Powers alive. Free power."

"If he's going to use Powers to power that machine his radiation is going to be noticeable, right?" Terry asked.

"Yes," Bruce said, "however I would like to find them before they finish building this thing." The next component that flashed across the screen caught Bruce's eye. It was something he had not seen in years. "One of you go tell Aré to come down here."

"Why? Did you figure out what these things are supposed to do?" Dick asked.

"Perhaps but I would like his opinion."

Dick went upstairs to get Aré and Terry moved closer to Bruce. "How bad is this going to be?"

"If this is what I believe it to be and they get it working, this could be very bad."

Footsteps behind them told them that Dick had returned with Aré. "What do you need me for?" He moved over to the computer and stood beside Bruce. Bruce could tell from the look in his eyes that something had changed. Aré looked at the screen. "Wait a minute," he tapped a few keys and flipped through the various items and came back to the one Bruce had seen to make his conclusion.

"That's the main device for that Chronos suit that that, oh what's his name, David Clinton made. Screwed up the time line to the point everything almost ceased to exist. He got into some serious trouble with the Fae."

"You never told me about that." Bruce said.

"That's because technically it just recently happened."

"Ah." Returning to the matter at hand. "It appears your brother plans to use the device."

"What could he possibly need it for?" Aré asked. "He could just travel back in time on his own if he really wanted."

Bruce turned to him. "You told me only you and your father had that kind of power."

"No, we're the only ones with the authority. The rest of the family has the ability to travel time too, with the exception of Sora. She never received that power. They still don't have the authority though." Aré said.

"That's why he needs this device." Bruce said. "To travel time without being noticed."

Aré shook his head. "He'd still be noticed. There's more to it than simply the power to travel time. He doesn't have the authority and neither I nor our father has given him permission." Of course since their father has been missing for over twenty years it was obvious he hadn't given anyone permission to do anything.

"Things have just gotten a whole lot more complicated." Dick said.

"It's been complicated for years." Aré said. "We have to find them before they can get that device together and use it."

"I agree." Bruce said. He spun his chair around to face them all. "From what I can recall Nakumaru enjoys the ocean." He turned to Terry. "You should check the warehouses down by the docks. Start there and if you cannot find anything we will expand the search."

Terry nodded then went to suit up. "Where else would he hide?" He asked.

"As a child Naku enjoyed the ocean and exploring the woods. He was always looking for adventure so maybe up near here."

"That's a little close don't you think?" Dick asked. Terry returned, cowl in hand.

Aré shrugged. "What better place to hide then right under our noses." He sighed. "I think, given what we now know maybe I should use some Fae techniques to find him."

"I should get out on patrol then." Terry said, putting on the cowl and heading over towards the car. "I'll let you know if I find anything." He jumped in then sped out of the cave.

"I'm going to go take Mai home." Aré said. "I'll be back later and hopefully I'll have figured something out." He went upstairs where Mai waited.

Once Aré had left Bruce said, "He wants me to drop this."

Dick turned back to him with a raised eyebrow, "You think?" He pulled over the other chair and sat. "You know something else don't you? Something you haven't mentioned to Aré."

Bruce leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "We don't have much time. Three days at the most."

"Why and how did you figure that out?"

"The new moon." Bruce said. "There will be a new moon in three days. _If_ we are lucky we may have more but I would not count on it."

Dick nodded, "Let's just hope we can find them before they can do any more damage." Bruce nodded in agreement.

* * *

"You have three days to get that device operational." Nakumaru said to the four criminals standing around the various parts they had collected.

"Three days?" Asked Shriek. "Why the hurry?"

Naku turned his gaze to him. "That is not your concern. Your only concern is getting it working."

"We will have it operational in time." Spellbinder said as he locked another part into place. "Maybe even earlier."

"Good. Once the device is working Mr. Powers here will power the device and I will set the coordinates."

"Do we all get to go?" Inque asked.

"You all want to see Batman never come into existence right?" They nodded, "Well then you are free to come but you will still follow my orders."

"What about him?" Inque gestured towards Paxton.

Naku thought for a moment. "He has served his purpose." He turned to the elder Powers. "You may do with him as you see fit."

Paxton's eyes went wide and followed Naku as he left the room. His screams then echoed through the night.


	16. Sixteen: Brothers

**A/N:** Again, translations are in between the [ ].

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Brothers**

**Then**

"Your brother?" Dick asked, turning from the computer to face Aré. "I thought your brother was dead. Well, I mean….. Uh….."

"You're thinking of Marcus, and he is, but I _do_ have Fae siblings too." Aré said.

"You've only mentioned him once or twice to me." Bruce said. "Any reason why we've never met him?"

"Because Nakumaru hates humans." Aré said. "And he hates me." He looked back up at the still form of his younger brother. "But he wasn't always like this. He's a good kid, just lost."

"There's something you're not telling us."

Aré sighed. "When Naku was the equivalent of twelve years old, so around one hundred twenty, he changed."

"One hundred twenty and he was still only physically twelve?" Dick asked with wide eyes.

"Full bloods age differently. Whereas Halflings age at a normal human rate until maturity, full bloods age normally for the first three or four years then they slow down. It takes ten years for a full blood to age one physical year." He replied. "Once full bloods reach maturity they stop aging whereas a Halflings aging just slows. I age like a full blood. Physically Naku, Izumi and I are only around nineteen or twenty. Our father's physical age is around twenty three or twenty four."

Dick whistled. "That must be nice, getting to stay young forever."

"It gets old after a while. Especially when people treat you like a kid when it's obvious you're not."

"Back to the subject at hand." Bruce said. "How do we find him? The last time we met he could hear us entering the room."

"I can hear you too. You know Fae senses are a more acute than a normal person."

"I remember." All those times when he was younger and tried to sneak out of the house, it was no surprise that Aré had been able to catch him. "But how do you catch one another?"

"By sending one of our own kind out after them."

"And you would be willing to go after him?"

Aré nodded. "Absolutely. I've been trying to catch him for centuries. There's something wrong with him, that much is certain. I'm hoping that if I can get a hold of him I can get through to him. Make him see that what he is doing is wrong."

"And if you can't?"

"Then I'll just have to find something else to do with him." He stood. "Are you sure this will prove I didn't kill that man?"

"Yes." Bruce said. "Once that is done we will go after your brother."

"There is no _we_ in that, just me."

"No way." Dick said. "After what he just did to you there's no way we're going to let you go at this alone."

"Look, this is my business. There's no need for you two to trouble yourselves over this. I thank you for proving I didn't kill that man but leave my brother to me."

Dick glanced at Bruce and he could see that the older man felt the same as he did.

"Aré—" Bruce began.

"Just drop it, okay Bruce. Just let me handle it." Aré turned from them and left the cave.

Bruce started after him but Mai stopped him. "Let him be."

"This is dangerous." Bruce said.

"And he knows that. But he's right, Naku is his brother. While I agree that he shouldn't do this alone you two need to give him a few moments to absorb all of this. To realize your own brother just framed you for murder has to be a huge shock. You two can follow him later but for right now let him be alone."

Bruce looked up to where Aré had disappeared. He'd let him have his space for now but when it came time to capture Nakumaru he and Dick were going to be right there to make sure nothing happened to him.

* * *

Later that afternoon Aré sat perched atop one of the tallest buildings in Gotham overlooking the city. It was raining, his hair was matted to his head and little rivulets of water ran down his face and hands into his clothing or dropping onto the rooftop. A gust of wind blew causing the black trench coat he had on to fly out behind him. He'd been atop the building for hours trying to find his brother. The light from the setting sun broke through a few of the clouds in the distance. He wasn't worried if anyone saw him atop the building. He was currently in his natural Fae form so if anyone did recognize him they'd recognize him as the boy sometimes seen with Batman, not as Taji Marin.

He looked up at the few rays of light that had managed to break through the clouds and sighed deeply. He could feel that his brother was in the city but he couldn't pinpoint where exactly he was. It felt like he was in every location in the city all at once and it was driving Aré nuts. All he wanted was to find his brother. Was that too much to ask for?

Standing, he took one step forward and fell from the top of the building. He landed on the street with barely a sound. Those who were on the street who had noticed turned their heads towards him. He ignored them and started down the street. As he walked Aré could hear his name and Batman being muttered by those he passed. Unlike his nephew, Aré didn't go out of his way to scare people but those people knew that he worked with Batman on occasion. However, even now, none knew his real name. To the world at large he was known simply as Phoenix.

It was fitting, he guessed. While he was immortal he didn't rise from ashes. He'd pointed that out to Batman afterwards and the man had just shrugged. _"You're immortal and can control fire. Close enough."_ He'd said.

Aré kept his senses alert as he walked and tried his best to focus on his brother's exact location. The presence still felt spread out but since he had moved from the top of the building down to street level he felt that it was more focused. He did not have a particular destination in mind at the moment. He was just going wherever his legs were carrying him. When he finally stopped to look at his surroundings he noticed that he had walked all of the way to Gotham Central Park. Just like everywhere else his brother's presence seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"Hello brother."

The voice came from his left and Aré's gaze spun in that direction. Leaning against one of the large trees in the park was Nakumaru.

* * *

Batman was out earlier than usual that day also. He sent Robin out to search the city while he met up with Jim Gordon atop the roof of the police precinct. He was pleased to hear that the results on the knife had come back showing that Aré had not actually handled the weapon and that the District Attorney was going to drop the charges. Just before he was to leave Gordon the elder man's voice stopped him. "I was a bit surprised to realize that Taji Marin is Phoenix. Though I have to admit I had suspected but to have it confirmed is what made it surprising."

Batman eyed Gordon warily. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I think now is a good time to let you know that I know a bit more than you thought I did."

"How much more?"

"Enough." Gordon gave a small shrug. "I didn't get to be Commissioner by being stupid you know."

"No, you didn't. Who else knows?"

"I can't vouch for anyone but myself. I doubt anyone else knows though."

Batman was silent for a moment. "How long have you known?"

"A while, as to how I figured it out. It was your eyes," A hit of a smile formed on Gordon's lips, "and that tiny little scar on your left shoulder."

Gordon had been the only other person in the warehouse on Batman's first night out to know that he'd been shot in that location. "Oh. Jim—"

Gordon held up a hand. "Don't say anything. Between you and me, yes I do know something, but if anyone else were ask I don't know anything."

Batman nodded. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. Just watch out for stray bullets." With that Gordon turned and headed back inside the precinct.

Batman pulled out a grapple gun and aimed at a neighboring building. Leaping off the rooftop he descended through the city in search of the one who had framed Aré.

* * *

"Naku." Aré said, surprised to see his brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you brother." Naku replied. "Is that a crime?"

"No, but what you did to me and that man is."

Naku waved off Aré's words. "What's one less mortal in the world? As for what I have done to you; that was fun wasn't it?"

"Oh yes, extremely." Aré said sarcastically. "Thinking I killed a man was a blast."

Naku smiled. "I thought you would enjoy it." He moved away from the tree and towards Aré. "It really has been too long brother. I'd forgotten how much fun tormenting you was."

Aré sighed as weariness came over him. "Why are you here?"

"Do I need a reason?" Naku was now circling Aré. "That human nephew of yours is persistent isn't he? And here I thought I had all of my tracks covered."

"You had me convinced." Aré said. "But what were you thinking? Do you realize what could have happened if they hadn't proven it wasn't me? Even still, they'll start looking for you and then what are you going to do?"

Naku shrugged. "The mortals will never be able to catch me."

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?" Naku asked he was getting bored with the turn the conversation had taken.

"If I went to jail I would have been exposed. It wouldn't have taken them long to realize that I _don't_ _age_. You could have exposed the entire Fae race and then where would you be? Did you ever think about what would happen to papa and Izumi if that had happened?"

Naku turned back to Aré, his face turning pale. "I had not thought of that." He said. He looked away. "If anything ever happened to them…." For a moment Aré thought he was starting to get through to his brother but then Naku shook his head. "It doesn't matter. All of this is your fault anyway." He moved closer to Aré. "None of this would be necessary if you didn't have that damn blood. If father hadn't mated—"

"Don't say 'mate!'" Aré yelled. "They're not animals. They were in love. They were going to get married. And you used to call her 'mama'. You and Izumi both did. You loved my mother as if she was your own and she loved you just as much."

"She was human."

"So what? Do you know Izumi plans on marrying a mortal man?"

"What?" Naku sounded surprised. "Mother and the Council would never allow it."

"They don't have a say in the matter. Papa gave her his blessing; that was all she needed." Aré sighed deeply. The look he gave Naku reflected his deep sadness. "Why do you hate me so much? I need to understand why."

"You want to know why I hate you." Naku moved closer to Aré. "I don't hate you brother, I hate what you are. Things would be different if your blood wasn't tainted."

Aré doubted that was the truth but if Naku believed that then maybe there was still hope for him. "I can't change what I am. I can't just remove my mother's blood from my veins and I wouldn't even if it was possible. We don't get to choose how we're born. I hate that so many have died simply because I exist." Tears started to run freely down his cheeks. "Do you realize how lucky you are? I wish I had been born either one or the other, not both." For a brief moment visions of his childhood flashed through his mind. The teasing, the looks, the times he'd been ganged up on by other children and beaten. "But I still can't change what I am. So hating me for something I cannot change is kind of pointless."

Naku was silent for a moment as he mulled over what Aré had said. When he looked his brother in the eyes Aré could see the deep hatred reflected in them. "You should never have been born." There was a faint whooshing of air and Naku's expression turned to confusion. He reached up and pulled a dart out of his neck. He looked at the dart, "What?" Then back at Aré before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.

Aré watched Naku fall to the ground then looked up towards where the dart seemed to have come from. He heard the rustling in the trees before he saw Batman. After a glance towards Batman Aré went over to his fallen brother and checked him over. "I don't know what you're thinking but he won't stay out for long. You know how quickly our bodies metabolize these things."

Batman came closer to the two brothers. "There was enough sedative in that dart to bring down a full gown elephant," Arélooked at him with a raised eyebrow, "twenty times over."

Aré's eyes went wide, that much sedative would surely have killed a normal person but it would keep a Fae out for a long time. "What do you plan to do with him?" Even after all Naku had done to Aré he was still protective of his younger brother.

"I planned on bringing him back to the cave to answer some questions." He took out some handcuffs and bound Naku's hands then lifted him up and headed back to where his vehicle was. "What is Naku's specialty?"

"Water." Aré said. "Only members of the Royal Family are taught by all four gods and then it's only those who are considered 'crown.' Like me, and my father and my grandfather. The only time Naku would learn from all four gods would be if he was to become King."

"I don't have to worry about him melting the cuffs."

Aré rolled his eyes as he followed Batman. "No, influence over metal isn't one of his powers." He got into the Batmobile once Batman had opened the vehicle.

"What are you doing?" Batman asked.

"You don't think I'm just going to let you take my brother do you?" Aré held out his arms. "Give him to me."

"Where do you expect me to put him?"

"He'll sit in my lap."

"That'll be a tight squeeze."

"I don't care, give him to me."

Batman knew that to argue would be a waste of precious time so he handed Naku over to Aré then he jumped into the driver's seat and began the drive back to the cave. As he drove he would look at the two brothers out of the corner of his eye every once in a while. It was obvious to him that Aré cared deeply for his younger brother, regardless of what he had done. He broke nearly all the speed limits on his way back to the cave. Once they arrived Batman got out of the car and took Naku from Aré so the other man could get out also. He placed Naku on a chair that he had set up earlier and handcuffed him to it. Checking the time he realized Naku would awaken within the next fifteen minutes or so. One thing Batman noticed as he did this was a set of characters that began at the base of Naku's neck and disappeared down his shirt, moving down the length of his spine. He hoped once Naku woke up he'd finally start to get some answers from the two brothers.

* * *

Naku began to become aware of his surroundings and one of the first things he became aware of was the pounding in his head. Very rarely did his kind experience any ailments but when they did they were brutal. Slowly his eyes opened and he found himself in near total darkness. He could hear the sound of running water in the distance, an underground waterfall most likely. Naku lifted his head up and took a look around. The last thing he remembered was speaking to his elder brother and having something strike him in the neck, then nothing. A noise to his left caught his attention. "Hello?" He called.

The lights within the cave suddenly came to life and he saw the towering form of Batman standing to his left. When Naku tried to stand he realized he was cuffed to the chair he was sitting on. He looked at Batman curiously, "What's going on? Why am I bound?"

"Dumb question." Batman said, "And I'm not letting you go until I have some of my own answered, regardless of what your brother thinks."

"My brother….?" Naku asked. His eyes went wide. "Where is he?" He looked around again trying to locate his brother. "Niichan!"

Batman had noticed that something was different about the man he'd cuffed to the chair. They both looked up when a figure appeared at the entrance to the cave. Damn, he'd told him to wait in the manor. He really shouldn't have been surprised that Aré hadn't listened. Aré jumped from the top of the stairs and moved slowly over to Nakumaru. "I told you to wait upstairs." Batman said to him. Considering all Naku had done he wasn't going to take any chances.

Aré glanced at him briefly before moving to kneel in front of Naku. Neither brother spoke for a long moment. Naku tried to make himself project his earlier hatred but was only able to keep the expression for but that moment before he began to cry. "Niichan." Batman wasn't ready for when the cuffs disappeared and Naku flung his arms around Aré. "Gomen nasai." [I'm sorry.] Naku cried. "Watashi ha anata o kizutsukeru tsumori ha ari mase n. Watashi ha sore ni yakudatsu koto ha deki mase n. Watashi ha tatakai o kokoromiru koto ha deki mase n kedo. [I don't mean to hurt you. I can't help it. I try to fight but I can't.]

"I know." Aré said, holding Naku tight. "I know it's not your fault." He pulled away enough to look at Naku's face. "But why aren't you…?"

"It's a new moon." Naku said, forcing himself to calm. He turned and lifted up his tunic so they could see his back. The symbols that had run down his spine earlier were no longer present. "I'm free during the nights of the new moon because that was the phase when this was done to me." He lowered his tunic and turned back to face Aré. "I've tried to fight it but the spell is too strong. Maybe if I'd been older I could have fought against it better." He shook his head and did his best to stem his tears. "Everything I've said and done to you…. I'm sorry, I can't help it."

"I know you can't." Aré wasn't sure he could bring himself to tell Naku that he'd become afraid the thoughts forced upon Nakumaru had become true for him. "I don't blame you."

That was enough to get Naku crying again and he buried his face in Aré's chest and Aré held him while he cried out centuries of frustration. After Naku's cries had stopped they continued to sit there with one brother holding the other, each content to be in the other's presence. "When morning comes," Naku said after a long time, "you will have to find something to do with me."

"I thought you said you were free during the new moon?" Aré said.

"Only at night. That's why you've never seen me around at this time before. I was always kept locked up so I didn't try to find you."

Aré held Naku tighter. He'd noticed Batman had made a discrete exit earlier. Hopefully to tell Dick not to bother coming back to the manor that night. "There's still a long time until morning. What say we go upstairs and not sit in this cave all night? I mean, I don't know about you but my ass is freezing to the ground."

Aré just about cried when he heard Naku laugh at his comment. "You always did have a sarcastic sense of humor."

"It's gotten worse with age." Aré said. He stood and helped Naku up. "Let's go upstairs. I know Bruce is going to want answers. Might as well get them while we still can."

Naku nodded. "Ni, what I said earlier….. About Mama…. About you, when I say those things—"

"They're not your words. They're _her_ words and those of the Council. I know that. I've always known that."

"That doesn't really make me feel any better."

The two went up into the manor and Naku was surprised by the elderly man who met them at the top of the stairs. Naku, being a couple inches shorter than Aré, was able to hide behind him. Aré felt the back of his shirt tighten as Naku gripped the fabric. "If you are looking for Master Bruce he is in the kitchen. I've finally gotten him to sit still long enough tonight to eat something." Alfred said. He tilted his head to the side in an attempt to better see Naku then turned back to Aré. "There is more if you two are hungry."

"Thanks Alfred." Aré said. He headed out of the library and Naku held his wrist the whole way to the kitchen. Aré didn't mind Naku's clinginess, he knew he'd do the same if he was in his position. They entered the kitchen and found Bruce finishing up his meal. He pushed his plate aside and looked up at the two brothers as soon as they entered the doorway. He folded his hands and rested his chin on them.

"You two care to explain what is going on to me?" Bruce asked.

Aré motioned for Naku to sit while he dished up some of the leftover dinner for them to eat. "It's a very long story." He said. He placed the plates on the table along with some silverware. It was apparent to Bruce and himself that Naku was very uncomfortable. "Remember when I told you that when Naku was in his twelfth decade something happened to him?" Bruce nodded. "Those characters that run the length of his spine are a spell to control him. It was placed upon him by _she who will not be named_ and certain members of the Council."

"I haven't seen all of the symbols." Bruce said. "What do they say?"

"Possession." Naku said. "They read 'Sora's possession.' And the only time they vanish is during the time of the new moon. It's not enough but for what it's worth, I am sorry for everything I have done."

Aré sat down beside Naku and took his hand in his. "I've already told you, none of it is your fault. You were a child when they did this to you. I've always known you were being controlled. I've tried everything to remove the spell but so far nothing that I've found has worked. I've even gone to Father for help but he's been bogged down by the Council."

"I've never understood the Council." Naku said. "Papa's king and his word is law. I never understood how once he became king the Council suddenly had more authority than Papa."

"I never understood it either. But if I had to take a guess it would have something to do with their hatred of my mother. There were a lot of unhappy Fae when papa announced he was going to marry a human woman. It was made even worse when they learned she was pregnant."

"Time for some of my other questions." Bruce said. "What was the purpose of framing Aré for murder? What are you trying to accomplish?"

Naku looked away from them. "There has been no other purpose but to make Ni suffer. The Council knew they could never control our father with a spell like this but with me being the youngest and as close to Ni as Izumi I was the most logical choice. I'm also the next male heir after Ni and therefore was the best choice as if Ni were to…" Naku took a deep breath, "If Ni were to die I would become the next in line to be King. That is what is trying to be accomplished. Certain members of the Council think the Royal line has become tainted because Niichan's mother is human. They also believe Father has no right to be King because he fell in love with a human. Grandfather and Grandmother approved of Father's choice but," he shrugged, "I guess we're just as dysfunctional as any other species."

"Life is dysfunctional." Bruce said. "If it made sense there wouldn't be any problems."

"I just wish I knew how to remove the spell." Aré said.

"I wish I knew as well." Said Naku, "But I was too young to understand everything involved in weaving it and I don't remember what was used anymore."

"What is the next move you plan to take?" Bruce asked, returning the subject to one the brothers would rather not discuss.

"I'm not sure." Naku said. "Things may change since I'm not hidden away this time and Ni knows what happens during the new moon." His expression turned to fear as something crossed his mind. "I may never see you again after this. They may fear that you'll find a way to reverse this curse. I don't want that to happen." His tears started anew. "I'd rather keep those horrid marks if it meant that I could still see you."

"Neither of those is going to happen Naku." Aré said. "I won't let them keep me from seeing my little brother and I'm damn well not going to let you suffer that curse for eternity."

Aré's words were reassuring to Naku as he believed them to be true. "I trust you Aré."

"One more thing." Bruce's voice returned Naku's attention to the other man. "Why do you, _they_,constantly come after my family?"

"It's not for the reason's you might think, not completely anyway. Hurting Aré is not the sole purpose for trying to destroy your bloodline. You represent something the Council despises as, like Ni, you carry on the blood that 'tainted' the Royal line. They hate Mama with such a passion that they would do anything to eradicate her existence. It's not simply enough that they killed her. They want the whole line destroyed, from her all the way down to you and your children. Should you ever have any."

"You two don't have the same mother. Why do you call his mother 'mama'?"

"Because she was more a mother to me than my own. Mother is not very motherly. Izumi and I are nothing but a means to an end for her. It wasn't enough for her to destroy the family Father should have had; she wanted the power that having the King's children granted her."

"She has done a couple of good things in her life." Aré said.

Naku snorted. "Name one."

"She had you, and Izumi. If nothing else there is that. You two are the only things I am thankful to her for."

Naku was silent as he pondered that. "They have tried to convince me that their views are the correct ones. They have yet to succeed. They may be able to control my actions but my mind is my own. They haven't taken that away from me yet. Please know this," he looked at both Bruce and Aré, "everything I say and do while the characters adorn my back is not me. And I apologize for everything I have done and in advance for everything I will do once the sun rises and the characters return."

"I _will_ find a way to remove that spell. I promise."

"I know you will Niichan. I just hope you find a way before they manage to destroy us all."


	17. Seventeen: Father and Son

**A/N:** This chapter contains scenes from the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" which I don't own. This is also the last chapter of part 1. I hope to start part 2 very soon. I thank everyone who's read and reviewed this story and I hope you keep a lookout for part 2. Remember translations are in between the [ ]. Enjoy!

~Kit.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Father and Son**

**Now**

Bruce had gone back out on patrol shortly after the conversation the three men had had and the only reason he had finally left was because Aré promised he would keep an eye on his brother. Naku had disappeared later that night before Bruce had gotten home and Aré still cursed himself for falling asleep around three-thirty in the morning. And just like the two had feared he hadn't seen his brother since. Sure there had been a few glimpses but Naku always disappeared before Aré ever got close enough to talk. He'd promised Naku that he would find a way to remove the spell cast upon him and while he had tried nothing he had come up with so far had worked. The last failed attempt had been extremely hard on Aré.

He punched in a new command into the computer. Bruce was upstairs doing something, Aré really didn't care what, and Terry was out on patrol looking for Aré's wayward brother. He knew about the limited time frame they had to work with. He'd told Nakumaru years before that he would find a way to remove the curse and he had. The problem with the cure he found was it required one or both of them to die. He was not desperate enough to go to such drastic measures to remove it and he knew Naku would have agreed with him. So while he still continued to search for a cure that would leave them both alive he now also had to find a way to capture his brother. During every new moon he would search frantically but as yet had not been able to locate him during those times.

With a sigh he looked back up at the screen and waited for the program he'd opened to load. Twenty some odd years before everyone's DNA was put into a database as a means of helping with the medical fields, though law enforcement had gotten in on it to help identify murder victims and possible suspects. Aré was currently getting into that database as a means of locating other family members that he had missed by being away for twenty years. He placed a drop of his blood into one of the computers scanners and had it search out a unique protein. When he had given his sister his blood all those centuries ago that protein had remained within her system and had been passed down through the bloodline. He was going to use that to identify the members of his family.

It didn't take very long for the results to begin coming to him. There were many names he recognized and a couple he didn't. It looked as if Bruce's cousin's grandkids had a couple of children in the past few years. He'd have to make a trip out to meet them once all of this was over. He closed his eyes to rest them for a moment and reopened them when the computer beeped, indicating it had completed the search. As he scrolled through the rest of the names the two at the bottom caught his eye and made him start. "I don't believe it." There was no reason _those_ names should appear on the list, they weren't related in any way. Unable to stem his curiosity he brought up the file on the elder of the two boys listed and began to browse through the information. At the bottom of the file the word **CLASSIFIED** was written in big red letters. As he looked into why there was classified information on the boy and who had access he came across two names; Cadmus and, "Waller."

* * *

Bruce noticed that something was on Aré's mind the moment he entered the library. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Bruce asked.

Aré looked up at Bruce. _How do I tell him? Bruce knows, he has to. Right?_ He wondered. "Kind of." He moved to sit at the large desk. "Bruce, how much do you know about Terry?"

Bruce became puzzled. He hadn't been expecting questions about his protégé. "Everything worth knowing." He replied. "Why?"

"What do you know about his family? His parents?"

"His father was murdered by Derek Powers shortly before he became Batman. His mother is a nice woman who works hard for a living and he has an eight-year old brother. Why are you asking me this?"

Aré's eyes widened slightly. _He doesn't know!_ His mind screamed. "Call Terry back, now."

"Why?"

"Because I found something. Something you both need to know."

* * *

Terry didn't understand why Bruce called him back to the manor so early. At first he thought it might have to do with a possible location on Nakumaru but if that was the case wouldn't Bruce simply have told him where he needed to go? A thoroughly confused Terry exited the Batmobile and removed the cowl. "What was so important that you needed me to come back so quick?" He asked.

Bruce looked over at Aré with a raised eyebrow. "I would like to know also so now that we are all here would you care to tell me what it is you found?"

Aré looked back and forth between Bruce and Terry. Taking a deep breath he began, "Earlier I was doing a search for anyone who carried a protein marker unique to the Wayne family." He said. "Since I had not been able to be in touch with any of the family I hadn't known of any new additions. There have been a few and two of the names on the list surprised me greatly."

"So why did you call me back here?"

Bruce was becoming as confused as Terry. "That is a good question. Aré what is going on?"

"The two names I found that also belong to our bloodline are Terrance and Matthew McGinnis."

"What!?" Bruce and Terry yelled.

"That's not possible." Terry said.

"How?" Bruce demanded.

"I know, I thought the same thing when I first got the results. I checked into it to find out how you are a part of our line and, well, you're going to want to sit down for this."

"How are we related?" Bruce asked.

Aré swallowed, "Well Terry and Matt are your….. You're their….." He took a deep breath, "You're their father."

There were very few things that could shock Bruce Wayne to the point of speechlessness and this was one of them. "That's impossible!" Terry yelled, breaking through the older man's shock. That was exactly what he'd thought when Aré spoke the words.

"I never even met his mother until after I met him." Bruce said. "How could he possibly be my _son!?_"

"Look, I'm only telling you what I found. And there's more."

"More?" Terry asked, his voice still contained the shock he felt. "What more could there possibly be?" He looked at Bruce, "You knew?"

"No, he didn't." Aré answered for him. "Only one person did, maybe two."

Bruce's expression turned from shock to questioning anger. "Who?"

"Amanda Waller."

"Cadmus." Bruce spat.

"This is too much." Terry said. He looked at Aré and his eyes held a confusion and loss no one should ever experience. "You're telling me that my father isn't my father and that Bruce is?" Terry shook his head in denial. "Why would you do this?" He asked Bruce. "You have to be wrong. You're lying!" Terry turned from them and ran.

"Terry!" Bruce called but the boy had already left the cave. It was hard even for him to imagine that he had children, let alone one of those children to be Terry.

"I read what I could before I came upstairs." Aré said. "And I knew you would never do what Waller did. I thought maybe you would have known at least."

"That was why you were asking me those questions, to see if I already knew? I didn't. I never had any reason to suspect."

"Why would you? You never planned on having any children of your own." Aré looked up at where Terry had disappeared. "I can't even imagine what he's feeling. I'm going to go see if I can't talk to him. This is a lot to take in, for both of you." His gaze returned to Bruce. "I'd noticed earlier he had your eyes and some of your mannerisms though I never thought to really wonder why. Now I know the answer to that."

Bruce was still reeling from the news Aré had given him. Then, for some odd reason, he began to laugh. "I go looking for your brother and you end up finding my son. No, sons. This is crazy."

"So what do we do now?"

"I have no idea." Bruce shook his head. Of all the insane things... Well this definitely took the cake. He stopped laughing. "We still have less than three days to find Nakumaru and the others. We still need to stop them before they complete the time device." A new look suddenly crossed his face. It was as if reality suddenly came crashing down upon him. "I have a son." He said with the disbelief that came from every new father. "Two sons."

"Are you going to be all right?" Aré asked, moving over to his nephew.

Bruce nodded. "I will be, eventually. Waller had no right to do this."

"No, she didn't, but what's done is done. Besides, would you really want to change it now?"

"No," Bruce said with a shake of his head, "I wouldn't. We do really need to focus on the threat this machine poses but first I have a phone call to make."

"You do that. I'm going to go try and talk to Terry. Then I think he and I are going to take a little field trip."

* * *

Mary McGinnis was quite surprised to see her eldest son home so early and even more so at the mood he was in. When he'd rushed by her on his way to his bedroom she'd caught sight of his eyes, they were red and puffy, as if he'd been crying. He hadn't said a word to her but had simply gone into his room and closed the door. That had been some minutes ago and she still had yet to knock on his door to see what was wrong. Deciding to forgo knocking she simply opened his door and stepped inside the room. She found Terry lying on his bed with his face buried in the pillow. She sat down beside him and placed a hand on his back. "Is everything all right Terry?" She asked.

"No." Terry's reply was muffled by his pillow.

It was at that time that Matt, having seen his mother enter his brother's room, decided to throw in his own opinion of what was wrong. "He probably had a fight with Dana. Did she dump you Terry?" Matt asked with a laugh.

Terry's head came up and the look in his eyes caused Matt to stop laughing and just stare. "Shut up!" He yelled. "You have _no_ idea what's wrong so don't go running your mouth and making up things you don't even know about!"

Matt looked disbelievingly at his brother. "Sorry Terry." He said and quietly left the room.

Terry put his head back down and curled up. "Terry, honey, what happened? Did something happen to Mr. Wayne?" Mary asked, knowing how close her son and the elderly man had become.

Terry sighed, God he couldn't even tell his mother what was wrong. He didn't know what was worse, learning that Bruce was his father or the knowledge that he could never tell his mother. "Yes… No, not the way you think."

Mary didn't know what to do. "Tell me what happened." She said while rubbing soothing circles along his back.

Terry turned his head from the pillow enough to see her. "I can't tell you mom. I wish I could but I can't."

Mary had been worried by Terry's behavior earlier but that statement made her worry grow. "Did he hurt you?"

Terry looked at her confused then sat up. "What? No mom," a sigh, "you'd never believe me anyway."

"Try me." She said. The doorbell drew their attention. She stood, "We're not done. I'll be right back." She went out and answered the door and was surprised by the young man with silver hair standing outside the apartment door.

"Uh, Mrs. McGinnis?" Aré asked, Mary nodded. "Is Terry here?"

"Yes he is but he's not in the mood for receiving company."

Aré sighed, "No I wouldn't think he would be. I just need to talk to him for a minute. It's really important."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with whatever upset him, would it?"

"Actually it would." He looked behind her and saw Terry glaring at him from down the hall. "Please Terry, five minutes. I just want to talk."

Mary looked back at her son. Terry moved down the hallway towards the door. "Fine." He looked at his mother. "I'll be right back." He walked out into the hallway with Aré and closed the door behind him. "Whatever you have to say make it quick."

"Terry, he didn't know." Aré said.

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" He ran a hand through his hair. "What does that make us? What does that make my dad?"

Aré put his hands on Terry's shoulders. "He's still your dad, that won't ever change. Terry, I know what it's like to have your world turned upside down."

"He knew, he had to. He did this, I don't know how but I know he did. Everyone was right, he is insane. He's so arrogant to think that the world can't function without a…" He trailed off. "What else is he going to steal from me? My life was never my own. How could it be when I'm his _clone_?"

"He hasn't stolen anything and he would never, ever, do anything like this. And you're not his clone. I don't have all of the answers but I do know someone who will. The woman whose name is on the file, Waller will know."

"I can't even tell my mom. And what about Matt? Will he ever know? He still thinks that dad's…"

"Warren McGinnis will always be your dad." He'd gotten the name from Bruce before leaving the cave. "That's not ever going to change. But we all deserve answers."

Terry sighed, "Give me a minute." He went back inside the apartment and grabbed his jacket.

Mary saw this, "Where are you going?"

"With Aré, he's a friend. I'll be back later mom. We're going to see if we can't get some answers."

"Answers to what?" Mary asked. "Something has you very upset and I want to know what it is."

"I'll tell you later mom." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Promise." Then he left the apartment, following Aré. When they were far enough away from the building he said, "I'm going to have to tell her something."

"I know you will." Aré led Terry to his car. "I'm starting to think you and Bruce need to tell your mother what's going on." Once they were both in the car he started it up and drove off. "Considering everything that's happened, what we've learned. I think she deserves to know."

"I can't tell her." Terry said. "If she knew I was Batman she'd kill us both." He let his head fall back against the seat. "How did this happen? When did life get so screwed up?"

This caused Aré to smile a little. "Life has always been screwed up. Take my word for it, I mean; I have been around for about five hundred years. I should know."

"Where are we going?" Terry asked, finally taking a moment to look at their surroundings.

"Just to visit an old friend. We should be there in about an hour or so." Terry nodded and closed his eyes. He hoped the headache he had would be gone by the time they reached their destination.

* * *

Bruce sat at the computer staring at the results Aré had received earlier. This was how Dick found him when he returned later that night after having spent the evening catching up with Barbara. Dick, not knowing what the results were for, looked curiously at the results. "What are you researching the kid for?" He asked.

Bruce had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Dick enter the cave. He turned to look at the younger man then back to the computer. "I wasn't doing any research. Aré was looking for more family members and…" He looked back up at Dick and his surprise could still be heard in his voice, "He's my son."

Dick's eyes went wide with his own surprise. "Huh? What do you mean he's your son?"

"Just what I said. He and his brother, I'm their biological father."

"How is that possible? Granted you're old and not dead but…"

One of Bruce's eyebrows rose. "I didn't even meet their mother until little over a year ago."

"So how is it possible that you're their father?"

"Cadmus."

Realization dawned on Dick. "Ah. But why would they do that?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out."

* * *

By the time Terry and Aré arrived at their destination it was very late into the night, or very early in the morning, depending upon how one looked at it. The manor they arrived at was large and the perimeter was being patrolled by guards. Aré had parked the vehicle far enough away from the manor so as not to attract attention. The two easily scaled the walls and took out the few guards that got in their way. It wasn't hard for Aré to pick the lock, he simply removed it from the door. Once inside the manor they found the security center and knocked out the night watchman. They tied him up then disabled the security cameras. They then moved further into the manor.

The interior of the manor was dark, which made it that much easier for the two to move around. Any guard they came across they knocked out and bound. Eventually they came to a large office. As Terry started to head out through the other exit the light at the desk came on. He spun around, a Batarang at the ready, and came face to face with an elderly African American woman. "I've been wondering when you were going to show up." She moved away from the desk and took a few steps towards the young man. "Terry McGinnis or do you prefer being called Batman?" She looked him up and down. "The fact you are here doesn't really surprise me."

"It doesn't?" Terry asked.

"Of course not, I've been expecting this day for years." The woman smiled and pointed at the Batarang still in Terry's hand. "Why don't you put that thing away? Take off your coat and sit a spell."

With a small gesture from his hand the Batarang retracted to its compact mode and Terry put it in his back pocket. "I've got some questions I need you to answer." He said.

"Of course you do boy. Why else go to all the trouble of breaking into the lair of the great and powerful Amanda Waller? You want some green tea?" She asked suddenly and moved off towards the small tray with tea and cups set upon it. "I do. Full of antioxidants this stuff. It's supposed to make you live longer." She picked up the tea pot and poured a cup for each of them.

"I don't want tea." Terry said, coming up behind her. "I want answers."

"Then you're going to have to humor me." She smiled slightly. "It's been many a year since I had a handsome gentleman caller." She glanced at Terry then at Aré who had been silent ever since they had entered the room. "Let alone two." She looked back at Terry, "Why is it that super heroes are so… good looking?" She turned and held up a cup of tea for Terry. "Drink up."

"I don't want any tea!" Terry growled angrily and swung his hand, knocking the tea cup from her hand. Amanda was surprised by this action and they watched as the cup crashed to the floor. It shattered and the tea made a nice puddle on the floor. Even Terry looked surprised by his action. "I'm sorry." He said.

Aré moved over and placed a hand on Terry's shoulder. "Calm down Terry. Breaking things isn't going to get you any answers."

"Oh that's okay. I've only had that cup for seventy years. My mother passed it on to me." Waller said.

"Guess that's what all this is about, legacies." Said Terry.

"Doubt you can find this pattern anymore. It's real China not that synthetic stuff."

"How can anyone be their own man living someone else's dream?"

"It's been years since I've had enough friends to use the whole set anyway."

"How can I escape the curse of Batman?"

"Even so one missing piece and the sets ruined."

Aré knelt down beside the mess after having silently watched the two voice their own thoughts. Waller had gotten out a little device to pick up the mess but he got to it first. With a small wave of his hand and the whispered word, "Shūfuku," the cup pieces came back together seamlessly and the tea that had spilled once again filled the cup. "I wouldn't drink that." He said, placing the cup back onto the tray.

Amanda sat down in a chair beside the small tea cart. "Thank you." To Terry she asked, "When did you figure it all out."

"He figured it out." Terry said, gesturing to Aré. "And I've only known for a few hours."

Waller turned her attention to Aré. "How did you figure it out?"

"Terry carries the protein unique to the family. When his and his brothers names came up as a result of my search I did a test to see _how_ they were related to us. It wasn't hard for me to run a DNA test. What is hard for me to understand is why it was done." He returned to sitting on the floor with his legs crossed underneath him.

Amanda nodded to herself as she thought about her reply. Another small robot brought in a tray containing pills and she took it and set it on her lap. The robot left and she looked at the pills. "Look at all this. A pill for blood pressure, a pill for my diabetes, a pill to replace my pituitary function," she picked up a red and white gel pill, "I don't even know what this one's for… Oh yeah, Alzheimer's." She saw Aré roll his eyes.

"Don't pretend you're some dotty old lady who can't remember anything. I've got questions and you're the only one left with the answers.

"Besides Bruce you mean?"

"Bruce can't be trusted."

"Bruce didn't know." Aré said in defense of his elder nephew.

Terry ignored Aré. "I should have realized what he was capable of. Once he settles on a course of action he won't stop at anything."

"If you think that you don't know him at all." She smiled again and put the tray aside. "Let me tell you a little story. It was a long time ago when Batman was young and so was I. The Justice League found themselves cleaning up one of my old messes. The second group of villains to call themselves the Royal Flush Gang, or the third who can keep it all strait? The leader of the gang, a girl named Ace, had psychic powers. At this point in time her powers had gotten out of control. Under normal circumstances Ace was only capable of giving people hallucinations. At this time her hallucinations had become real. Eventually the League took them down, most of them anyway. The only one left was Ace herself.

"That's where I came in. The Cadmus scientists had predicted that Ace was only days, perhaps hours from a massive aneurism. It was not as simple as just letting it happen. If she died before returning everything back to normal the psychic backlash could kill everyone within range of her powers and that was a distance measured in the miles. She had to be taken down before it was too late and the only way to do that was to kill her. Batman chose to go, alone." Terry found he was actually surprised Bruce had agreed to such an act. "He did not kill her though. Ace was still a young girl and one who was scared. All she wanted was to be normal."

_I can relate to that._ Aré thought.

"I don't know exactly what happened while he was with Ace but I do know he convinced her to return everything she had changed back to normal."

"I remember when that happened." Aré said. "While he only showed it to a few people the whole ordeal had left him very upset."

Amanda nodded. "He sat with her until her time came. That's the Bruce Wayne I came to know over the years."

"You think he showed mercy?" Terry asked scornfully. "Maybe, but more likely he'd somehow already deduced that Ace wasn't really going to hurt anyone."

"He always was two steps ahead of everybody." Waller said, looking out an open window. "The only one I know of who is ever able to one up Bruce is the Prince."

"It goes back and forth." Aré said. "And I hate being called that."

Terry, however, wasn't going to let his conclusions go. "Even when it looks like it's your call it isn't. Think about it, Bruce wanted a successor, another Batman. He planned it all from the beginning, I never had a chance."

"Bruce didn't know." Aré said again. He was getting tired of Terry's thick headedness. He was just as bad as his father.

What Waller said next was finally the thing to get through to the upset boy. "Honey, Bruce didn't overwrite your DNA with his. I did."

Terry's expression turned surprised. "How?" He asked. He leaned against the chair Waller was sitting in. "Why?"

"Because the world needs a Batman. Not that I always thought so mind you. Before you were born Bruce and I were enemies. His Justice League was easily the most powerful force on Earth. As you know I was in charge of Project Cadmus."

"Those times were a blast and a half." Aré said sarcastically.

Amanda ignored him. "Over the years I came to respect Batman, even trust him."

"I guess the law of averages means somebody'd have to." Terry said.

"I've known Bruce since he was a child. And you know those stories I've been telling you about those times? I didn't make those up Terry. They really happened." Aré said.

"After everything we've learned," he shook his head, "how can I believe that?"

"Because it's the truth. Whether you want to believe that or not right now is up to you. But don't go blaming Bruce for something he didn't do and had no knowledge of."

"I heard from him earlier tonight. We had an interesting conversation." Waller said. She returned Terry's attention to her. "Did you know I was the government liaison with the Justice League for a while? I met some extraordinary people in that job. But none of them were the equal of Batman."

"Right, who could be?" Aré was getting annoyed with Terry's sarcasm.

"Not my point." Apparently so was Waller. "I saw him save the day dozens of times with nothing but his wits, body and will. But I saw something else as the years passed. He was getting older, slower. Soon he'd have to retire or more likely someone would finally manage to kill him. The thought of a world without a Batman was unacceptable." She stood and moved over to the open window. "So I decided to make a new one. I used my old Cadmus connections to gather the technology necessary for project Batman Beyond. Bruce's DNA was easy enough to obtain. He left it all over town." Two eyebrows went up at her last comment. "Not remotely what I meant."

Aré snickered. "Are you sure?" Terry sent him a look. "Just kidding."

Amanda continued her story. "Then I found a young Neo Gotham couple with psychological profiles nearly identical to those of Bruce's parents. Your father thought he was getting a flu shot. Actually, it was a nano tech solution programmed to rewrite his reproductive material into an exact copy of Bruce Wayne's. A little over a year later your mother gave birth to you. A child sharing half her genetic material and half Bruce's. But when you're making a Batman, genetics is only part of the story." Waller turned to face the two men. "The rest is tragedy.

"Stop me if you've heard it before. You're eight years old, your parents have just taken you to a rousing adventure film, a grand time is had by all. But unknown to you a mysterious figure hides in the shadows."

Aré had heard this story before. He stood and his eyes widened in horror. "You didn't."

Waller turned to face him. "My plan was simple. The killer would leap out at them and kill his family. The trauma would put him on the path to becoming Batman. One problem, my assassin wouldn't pull the trigger. I argued with her but deep down I knew she was right. People say Batman's obsessive, that he'd do anything to achieve his goals but he'd never resort to murder."

"You're right, he wouldn't." Aré said. "There was so much more to it. The death of his parents was the turning point in his life, yes, but it wasn't the sole reason he ended up on the path he did."

"I know; you were a strong influence on him. I did my research and know what a problem child he was back then. You may have changed your name a couple of times but I, and those in Cadmus with the right clearances, knew it was you the whole time. I see you've gone back to using your birth name. Or part of it anyway. But you are right, if I was to honor all he stood for I couldn't resort to it either." She took a cup of tea and took a sip. By now the liquid had become cold.

Terry sat down in one of the other chairs. "And yet my dad wound up murdered anyway. Don't you get it?" Now he was addressing both Waller and Aré. "No matter what you did or didn't do I was going to end up being Bruce's carbon copy. It's fate."

Waller moved over to stand beside Terry. "You know the Lord's been a great comfort to me all these years." Terry glanced up at her. "Try not to look so surprised. Yeah, I've got a lot to answer for when I meet him but I'd like to believe that for all the harm I've caused I've also done some good." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe the Angel's need a sharp sword too. Like the good book says, he moves in mysterious ways. His plan is a mystery, but here's what isn't. He gave us free will; we choose our own fate, for good or ill. I've known Bruce Wayne for over fifty years and I've been keeping an eye on you your whole life. You're not Bruce's clone, you're his son. There are similarities mind you, but more than a few differences too." She glanced at Aré. "I'm sure you've noticed this."

He nodded. "I have. They have some of the same mannerisms and they definitely have the same eyes."

She addressed Terry again. "You don't quite have his magnificent brain, for instance, but you do have his heart though. And for all that fierce exterior I've never met anyone who cared as deeply about his fellow man as Bruce Wayne. Except maybe you." She moved away from the two men. "You want to have a better life than the old man's. Take care of the people you care about, or don't. It's your choice." With that she left them to let themselves out.

Terry sat in the chair in silence for a long time, thinking on the information he had gotten from Waller. Eventually Aré's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You ready to go?" Terry nodded and together they left the manor.

"I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about all this?" He eventually said sometime after they were on the road back to Gotham. "I'm angry, hurt and yet…" He looked over at Aré. "Is it wrong for me to be happy about this? As much as I love my dad I'm kind of glad to know that Bruce is my father."

"You found something you thought you'd lost." Aré said. He turned the vehicle onto the highway. "And so did I. I never expected Bruce to ever have children. I thought his line would end with him. I saw him getting older and I could also see the way he would look at me at times. I don't age Terry, I know I've told you this but you haven't known me long enough to see the truth of it. I know it was hard on him and I think that was mostly because he didn't have anyone anymore." He glanced over at Terry. "I've seen a difference in him since I've been back. I'd seen him start to close in upon himself once his heart condition came about. It actually surprised me, that condition. Everyone in the family has been so healthy. There haven't been any kinds of medical problems, at least for those who are direct blood descendants."

"Everyone's healthy?"

"More or less. Most of the illnesses the family experiences happen as a child. Just to build up the necessary immunities to various things. When was the last time you had a cold?"

Terry thought about it. "Not since I was about six." He saw Aré's lips curve into a smile. "Your sister was six when you cured her. That's why I haven't been sick since."

"Exactly." He said. "That's why I don't understand Bruce's heart condition. He shouldn't have it, simple as that but yet he does." Aré shook his head. "Who knows, it may just be that so many generations have gone by that the effects of what I did so long ago are starting to wear off."

The two remained silent the rest of the way back to Gotham. Aré dropped Terry off at his apartment before returning to the manor and was not surprised to find Bruce and Dick still awake. "Where the devil have you been?" Bruce asked once Aré returned.

"Out." Aré said, heading for the kitchen for something to drink. He was disappointed, however, to find there was nothing much in the way of drinks in the fridge. With a sigh he closed the door and got a glass of water instead.

"Enigma's over rated," Bruce said as the two followed the older yet younger looking man, "especially at three AM."

"So what, you're my father now too?" The upward curve of his lips was one of the ways Bruce knew he was being teased. "I mean, geeze, you've been an official dad for a few hours and you're already going all parental on me. Just because I look younger than you doesn't mean I am."

"You know for someone who does not like acknowledging his age you tend to throw it around a lot."

Aré ignored Bruce's remark. "So again I ask, are you practicing your parenting skills on me? Wasn't Tim the last one you did this with?" The tone of his voice changed as he said this, becoming more annoyed.

"What's got you in such a bad mood all of a sudden?" Dick asked.

Aré finished off the water in the glass. "I'm sorry. It's just been a very long night." Looking straight at Bruce he said, "And your kid is just as thick headed as you are." Putting his glass into the sink he then hopped up onto the counter. "I've also been thinking a lot about my brother lately and I've realized just how tired of all this I'm getting. We've been doing this dance for centuries and it never changed. The only way that I know of to end this for sure is for one or both of us to die."

"And only over my dead body will you do something so drastic." Bruce said. "If we can get to Nakumaru by the new moon we may be able to glean more information from him."

"I have no idea where to look. His presence is all over the place like before and I know he won't be captured as easily as last time."

"What's this about the new moon?" Dick asked. Very briefly Aré explained only enough to Dick for him to know that Naku is different during that time. "If there's a chance we can return his personality to normal shouldn't we take it?"

"I've love to but it doesn't work that way. Even with my magic I can't just snap my fingers and change him. What changed his personality in the beginning is complex; that much I know. But without knowing exactly what it was that did this I can't find a way that won't," he made a slashing motion across his neck, "well you know."

"It won't come to that." Bruce said.

"I hope you're right about that." Aré got off the counter. "I'm going home and hopefully get some sleep. Talk to Terry tomorrow. I think you'll find he's more accepting of the situation than you may think." He pulled his car keys from his pocket. "I'll call you sometime tomorrow. I haven't decided if I'm going to ditch or not. It's not like I actually _need_ to go to school. I've already lived through a good portion of US History anyway."

"Haven't you lived through all of it?" Dick asked with a smirk.

"Cute." Aré said sarcastically. "Hilarious."

"I will let you know if I find anything." Bruce said, cutting in.

Aré nodded. "I know you will." He smiled at them but it never reached his eyes. "Goodnight." And with that he left the manor.

Once Aré had left Dick turned to Bruce and asked, "Now what?"

"Pray we find them before they complete that machine."

* * *

Aré returned home with the full intention of going straight to bed. He got himself ready and even after climbing under the silk sheets he found that he could not get to sleep. He turned onto his side in an attempt to get more comfortable. Closing his eyes Aré sent a silent prayer to the Gods of his world that things would turn out all right. After what seemed like many hours he finally fell asleep.

* * *

"How is everything coming?" Nakumaru asked Shriek and Spellbinder, the two currently working on the machine.

"Better than expected." Spellbinder replied. "At this rate we should have this thing completed by the afternoon."

"Good." Nakumaru said with a nod of approval. "Let me know the moment is it finished."

"Of course."

With one last nod towards the two men Nakumaru left them to their work and returned to the penthouse apartment he had acquired in Gotham. When he returned he went straight to the only bedroom not being occupied by either him or the woman traveling with him. He was not at all surprised to find her inside that room, looking at one of her "treasures." She looked up at him and smiled when he entered the room. "How long until it is ready?" She asked.

"By afternoon." He replied. "Or so they say, but you know these mortals. I won't believe they're competent enough to complete it on time until it happens."

She nodded and motioned for him to move closer. He did so and looked at what she had been gazing at before he entered the room. She placed a hand on his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Soon everything is going to change. You will see. Everything is going to turn out for the better. Your father will see the error of his ways, as will your sister and we will be rid of that bastard once and for all." She lifted her head up and smiled at him. "Get some rest darling. You will need it as there is much work to be done." At his nod she turned away and went back to her own room.

"Yes mother." After she left Naku continued to gaze down at the glass coffin and the man that lay within. The man who had lain there for the better part of twenty years, with hair so blonde it matched the sun and who's eyes, should they ever open again, would match the same blue as Naku's. The same man who had sired him and his two older siblings. The spell placed upon Naku may control his actions but it could not control his emotions so there was no way the spell could keep the tears from running silently down his cheeks.


End file.
